A controversy broke out last week after images circulating on social media showed red and blue flashing lights on the official vehicle of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde. After criticism over a possible violation of rules, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said Sunday (March 15) that the lights installed on the Mayor’s vehicle and her escort car had been removed.

The episode has once again drawn attention to the rules governing the use of beacon lights on vehicles in Maharashtra. We explain.

Last week, social media posts pointed to red and blue lights installed on the bonnet of the Mayor’s official car.

Soon after the issue surfaced, the BMC on Sunday removed the lights from the Mayor’s car and her escort vehicle. The civic body said the vehicles are provided by the administration once office bearers assume office and that the lights were removed as soon as the matter came to notice.

What do the rules say?

The rules on beacon or flashing lights in India are governed mainly by the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which regulate the kinds of lights that can be fitted on vehicles.

For many years, red beacon lights — popularly known as “lal batti” — were used by ministers, senior officials, and other dignitaries to signal their status on the road.

This practice changed in 2017, when the Union government amended the rules and banned the use of red beacon lights on government vehicles across the country. The change came into effect on May 1, 2017, and was aimed at ending what was widely described as VIP culture on Indian roads.

Under the amended rule, political leaders, ministers, and government officials are not allowed to use red beacon lights on their vehicles.

Flashing lights are now restricted to vehicles performing emergency or law-enforcement duties, such as police vehicles, ambulances, fire brigade vehicles, and disaster response vehicles. These lights are meant to alert other drivers and help emergency vehicles move quickly during urgent situations.

Red and blue lights together are typically associated with police or emergency response vehicles. Because of this, their use on vehicles belonging to political office-bearers or government officials can raise questions about whether the rules are being followed.

Traffic authorities across states have repeatedly warned that unauthorised use of such lights is illegal and can attract penalties under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Since these provisions form part of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, they apply across all states, including Maharashtra. Installing such lights on private or official vehicles without authorisation can invite action by traffic police.

What has the political response been?

Former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar criticised the move and questioned how the rules could have been overlooked.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said the Mayor was being unfairly targeted and that she was aware of the rules banning red beacons.

“I took information in the matter and learnt that the red beacon was located on the bonnet of the vehicle. The fault does not lie with the Mayor. A previous decision clearly states that nobody should use red beacons in the state and the Mayor is well aware of this fact. She is being targeted for no reason, which is inappropriate,” Fadnavis told reporters.