The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has directed the advertising agency to take immediate steps to ensure that reflective tapes on its passenger buses are visible and not concealed under wraparound advertisements to avoid any violation of rules.
The direction came in the wake of the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) on Tuesday taking action against the BEST buses for violating rules about reflective tapes. According to RTO officials, a fine was imposed on more than 100 buses for the violation of the rule.
A senior BEST official said the department concerned of the public transport body asked the advertising agency to take immediate steps to make the reflective tapes that are hidden under the advertisements clearly visible.
”Whatever fine the RTO offices have imposed on the undertaking for violating the rule about reflective tapes will be recovered from the advertising agency,” the official said.
According to BEST, private agency Signpost India Private Limited had been given the contract from June 11, 2022 to June 10, 2027 for advertising on 3,115 buses at a cost of Rs 112 crore.
At present, most of the BEST buses display advertisements of various products and schemes, including those related to various schemes of the Maharashtra government, due to which the reflective tapes on these vehicles are getting concealed.
Road safety experts and retired RTO officials have expressed fear that the concealed reflective tapes could pose a risk of accidents and hence they had asked the authorities to take action against the violation of the rule that attracts a fine of Rs 1,000 if the offence is committed for the first time.
Reflective tapes improve visibility, ensuring safety for road users. As per the rules, reflective tapes of bright red, white and yellow colours are installed on the rear, front and the sides of the buses.
When light from the headlights of other vehicles falls on these tapes, they glitter making the vehicle visible from a distance in darkness, even if the lights of these vehicles are off.
The civic transport body has given the contract of advertising on BEST buses and at bus stops to the private agency. Last week, additional transport commissioner J B Patil, who also holds additional charge of joint transport commissioner of Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department, had directed all RTO offices in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to take action against BEST buses for violating road safety norms by putting up advertisements that concealed reflective tapes.
As per Rules 104 and 104D of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, it is mandatory for commercial vehicles to install reflective tapes in red, white and yellow for safety reasons, as it improves visibility and prevents accidents, officials said.
BEST is a municipal transport body of Mumbai. With its fleet of around 3,400 buses, it provides service in Mumbai and its neighbouring cities. More than 30 lakh commuters travel on the buses of this undertaking on a daily basis.
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