Summer sales: Limited protection from sun for drivers

City-wide campaign against shade sellers to start soon.

LAHORE:

Even though the city traffic police had started a campaign against the use of tinted glasses and shades used in cars to block out the sun, they have been unable to halt the sale of said shades in public spots.

Traffic police have not been successful in removing the shade sellers as they have now re-appeared on many of the main roads in the city. This, of course, is a factor in motorists violating the ban against using shades in cars.

Traffic wardens are confused and hesitant about imposing the rule. Some of them say that in the summer, due to the harsh sunlight, people were justified in using shades. Moreover, they said, that people do not follow the rule even after being given multiple warnings.

Vendors are also trying a new tack, instead of standing at the traffic signals, as they previously did, they now can be found on roadsides. Shades are seen being sold at Kalma Chowk, Qurtaba Chowk, Azadi Chowk, Muslim Town Mor and Shadman Chowk.

Naseem Masih, selling shades opposite Gaddafi Stadium, said that selling shades was how he ran his household. Masih said he was not concerned with the legal status of the product and if once in a while he or fellow vendors were apprehended for selling shades, they were soon released on compassionate grounds. Masih asked why the government did not stop the shops on Montgomery Road from selling shades, implying discrimination against roadside vendors. He said if he did not sell shades the motorists would still buy them.

A traffic warden on The Mall said that the campaign to stop the use of shades had not been resumed. Once it was, they would stop motorists from using and shade sellers from selling them. Personally, he said, he would allow the use of shades.

Motorist Saleem Javed said it should be clear whether use of shades was allowed or not. He said some wardens had stopped him and told him to take off the shades while others had told him that the use of shades was partially allowed. He said motorist using air conditioning found it cumbersome to deal with the harsh sunlight.

Amina said that she saw no harm in using shades as they stopped direct sunlight from hitting the driver.

Also, she said, women would get protection from undue attention if the use of shades was allowed.

According to the Twelfth Schedule of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, a driver is fined Rs300 for driving a motor vehicle with tinted/covered glass. The driver cited for the offense is required to remove the covers of the glass as well as pay the fine.

CTO Ahmad Mobin said that a city-wide campaign against shade sellers would begin soon. He said people would not be allowed to violate any of the traffic rules. Mobin added that drivers could use one shade without being handed a challan.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2011.