Bhubaneswar, April 27: The Odisha government has decided that a multi-coloured beacon light would be used by emergency vehicles on duty.
Single red, blue and yellow beacon lights cannot be used in vehicles used by higher administrative officials and emergency vehicles, including police. Instead, multi-coloured – red, blue and white or yellow - panel light will be used in these vehicles with approval of the State Transport Authority (STA).
The Director General of Police (DGP), Odisha has issued a directive to remove single-colour beacons from the Home Department vehicles following STA's advisory.
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had issued a notification on May 1, 2017 banning sporting of red and blue beacons on vehicles.
The Odisha government had asked the STA to submit a report on officials of various departments using vehicles with red beacons and take necessary action following the Ministry's directive.
The STA had sought report from various departments and also asked to shortlist the officials who are eligible to sport multi-colour beacons atop their vehicles, but got no satisfactory reply.
The STA will provide a special sticker to the officials for use of multi-colour beacon atop one vehicle.
It sought report from several departments in 2017, 2018 and 2021. However, no department gave any reply expect Home department.
Recently, the STA had written to Revenue department secretary, Home department secretary and DGP requesting to remove red beacons from vehicles of the officials.
It has also directed the RTOs to make a district-wise list of officials using single-colour beacons.
