“I will feel more secure to travel in a vehicle with tinted screens on the windows rather than face harassment from road-side Romeos at every traffic signal in the city,” said Ms Sushmita, a software professional.
The decision by the Chennai Traffic Police to implement the Apex Court’s order on sun control films has upset many vehicle owners, especially given the hot and humid weather in Chennai. “Besides, the film helps the A/c to cool better,” added Ms Sushmita.
The police should allow cars with tinted films of a certain visibility, noted a housewife from Natesan Nagar, Virugambakkam.
Ms Bindu Harasankaran said, “In a hot city like Chennai it will be difficult to travel without the sun control films on vehicles.
We will be happy if the police allow us to continue to use vehicles with sun screen films of a permitted visibility level.”
Echoing the same view Mr M. Mani, a lecturer in Anna university, who bought a car two months ago, said that he had decided to have the sun film on his car only after the dealer said that it was very much within the permissible limits.
“The authorities should allow sun control films with specific visibility. Rather than chasing cars with tinted film on it, the police should be chasing rash drivers,” he added.
However, welcoming the move, Tamil Nadu Advocates Association president Mr S. Prabhakaran said that many criminals used tinted films to commit crimes.
Such vehicles were used by criminals to kidnap children and girls, he said. “What is wrong in having transparent glasses which give better visibility at night and help prevent accidents?” he asked.
A dealer of sun control films said that the authorities should allow them to sell light-tinted films. “If they are very strict with the norm, it will be a big blow to our business.
We think that they should allow us to stick to light-tinted films on car windows,” noted a trader from Woods Road.