A plea challenging the government’s notification of taking action against the unauthorised fitting of crash guards or bull bars was filed in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday following which a notice was issued to the Centre seeking its response.
The petition came after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway issued a notification directing all states to act against the crash guards installed at the front and rear side of the vehicles, stating that they”pose serious safety concerns to pedestrians as well as occupants of the vehicles”.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar sought the response after the petitioners, manufacturers and dealers of bull bars, contended that the crash boards are “useful safety accessories” and there is no rule or law dealing with it.
The plea countered the ministry’s claim and said that the bars do not come under the Section 52 of the Motor Vehicle Act.
It claimed that the decision to ban bull bars was taken without any scientific survey on its safety quotient.
Mohammed Arif, who claims to be a manufacturer and dealer of crash guards or bull bars, has sought to implead himself in a pending PIL, which had claimed that while these bumpers may look stylish and protect the vehicle from low-speed impacts, but in high-speed accidents, they would defeat the in-built safety features of the car resulting in fatal injuries.
The plea filed by Aarshi Kapoor and Sidharth Bagla had also contended that the metal bumper guards pose a threat to lives of pedestrians as well as passengers.
The bench issued a notice to the Transport Ministry and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), asking them to make clear their stand on the issue.
The impleadment application by Arif said, “No owner of a motor vehicle shall so alter the vehicle that the particulars contained in the certificate of registration are at variance with those originally specified by the manufacturer.”