A few years ago, local authorities decided to ban tinted car windows, hoping that it would curb traffic and legal violations that were rampant in the metropolitan city. Ever since then, Karachi’s traffic police department has launched multiple grand operations to reprimand offenders of the traffic law, stopping drivers, issuing fines, and stripping the tinted film off their windows.
Citizens however feel that this crackdown is primarily focused on troubling the hoi polloi, while vehicles of the politically and socially influential figures are allowed to move around the city without anyone questioning their blackened glass. “The reason people choose to tint their car windows in Karachi is that it protects the car’s interior from damage from the sun, while also offering a degree of privacy for the family that is seated inside. It is understandable that the law is in place to curb criminal activity, but then why are the influential figures not reprimanded as well,” expressed Nazim Ahmed, a local car dealer, adding that laws should be uniform.
On the other hand, Shahzeb, who deals in a variety of automotive accessories, says that there has been a drop in demand for tinted glass films ever since the police started going after them. While at the same time, there are a wide range of products that offer a similar experience but are easy to remove and self-install, which have picked up pace in the market. “Most people now prefer light-black films, instead of going for the completely opaque black films that looked more suspicious to the police. Other than that, there are also sunshades and window curtains that can be easily drawn whenever needed,” said Shahzeb.
Per Faizan, who particularly deals in sunshades and window curtains for cars, these products more or less offer the same kind of privacy and shade as tinted films but have the added benefit of easy removal if needed. “These are usually made of artificial nylon type of fabric and are mounted on all the windows. The price depends on the quality of the product, but most sets retail between Rs800 to Rs3,000,” informed the dealer.
Kashif Khan, a car owner who recently switched to sunshades from tinted window film, believes that they are more practical to use than plastic films that have to be glued onto the window glass. “Their hasty removal can sometimes damage the car, but with sunshades, there is no such worry as they are completely legal to use. In a city like Karachi, which can get exceptionally hot and sunny, you need to have some kind of sun protection to keep your car’s interior from being damaged and your air conditioning working well. For that, these shades and curtains are the best available products in the market,” he opined.
Speaking in this regard, a spokesperson for the Karachi Traffic Police urged the public to immediately uninstall tinted glass and films from their vehicles’ windows. He reminded Karachiites that per instructions of the provincial government, there is a grand campaign against tinted glass vehicles going on and that anyone caught will be reprimanded to the full extent of the law. “Citizens should cooperate with the police, as this law is in public interest and meant assure public safety,” he told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2022.
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