Only seven categories could use red beacons with flashers: West Bengal government

KOLKATA: Aiming to crack down on illegal use of red beacons with flashers, the West Bengal government today said only seven categories including Governor and Chief Minister were eligible for it.

"We have seen that even a club president is roaming around with a flashing red beacon but after this notification we are sure that 80 per cent of the illegal usage of the red beacon will stop," Transport minister Madan Mitra told reporters here. Mitra said he would refrain from using either red and blue beacons as a personal decision.

The seven groups which could use the red beacon with flasher were the Governor, Chief minister, Chief Justice of the High Court and other judges, the Assembly Speaker, Cabinet ministers and Leader of the Opposition.

Based on a Supreme Court direction of December 10, 2013, the state government also categorised four groups of vehicles - red light with flasher and without flasher and blue light with flasher and without flasher - to be used by the dignitaries.