COCA to appeal against ban on sun films in cars

COCA to appeal against ban on sun films in cars

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 13, 2012 : The Car Owners and Consumers’ Association (COCA), a recently created organization, has decided to appeal to the High Court to review its order banning sun films on four wheelers.

Advocate Padma Prasad Hegde will file the review petition when the courts re-open. Stating that the Supreme Court ordered a ban on sun films based on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Avishek Goenka, he said that he court had not heard lakhs of vehicle owners who use these films before passing the order, adding that the court should have publicized the issue before passing its order.

Speaking of the need for sun films in coastal regions that experience high temperatures, he said that vehicle owners and those who travel in cars require sun films not only to cool the vehicle, but also to protect themselves from the hot sun. If sun films are removed, more fuel will be used on cooling the vehicle, he said, adding that car owners and users are only requesting permission to use sun films within limits of the Motor Vehicle Act.

A panel comprises Chief Justice S. H. Kapadia and Justices Swatanter Kumar and A. K. Patnaik said that limits prescribed in the Motor Vehicle Act should be adhered to and use of anything greater than the prescribed visual light transmission (VLT) limit of 70 precent for the front and rear windshields and 50 percent for the side windows is a punishable offence.

Advocate Hegde said that denying the use of sun films that do not cross the prescribed VLT limit is unreasonable as everybody cannot afford glass manufactured by companies.

The Supreme Court had passed this owner after hearing Avishek Goenka’s PIL that cars with dark-tinted rear and side windows are being increasingly used for crimes such as rapes, kidnap, and so on.

Mukesh Hegde, president of COCA, said that only high-end cars have tinted glass and added that, since sun films are affordable, use of sun films within VLT limits should not be denied to the public.