Law? He makes and breaks it

A policy maker for Bangalore breaks the law with a coloured licence plate

Rajya Sabha MP and FICCI president Rajiv Chandrashekar drives around in a Land Rover with a number plate emblazoned in gold. Officials say that's illegal.

"Use of any colour other than the white background with black lettering and yellow background with black lettering is illegal," said Bhaskar Rao, state transport commissioner. "Everybody starting from the chief minister to the common man has to abide by the white-and-black and yellow-and-black schemes. Be it an MP or an, MLA," added Bhaskar Rao.

Apart from being a lawmaker at the national level, Chandrashekar is also the convenor of ABIDeu00a0 (Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development), a state government task force that guides the chief minister in drafting policies for the city and carrying out his administrative functions.

"The MP himself is a violator of law," said a source who wishes to remain anonymous. "When he himself violates the law, what policy can he draft for our city?"

The exceptions to the rule, however, are the president and state governors who travel in official cars without licence plates. Instead, they have the emblem of India in gold, embossed on a red plate. And vehicles belonging to foreign consulates have white lettering on a light blue background.

Lawmaker or lawbreaker?

Though Chandrashekar wasn't available for comment, those close to him stuck by him.

"The vehicle used by Rajiv Chandrashekar doesn't have any special permission. It's registered locally," said K Sanjay Prabhu, PS to Rajeev Chandrashekar and director of Radio Indigo. "But he uses that colour scheme as he is a Member of Parliament and MPs have that provision."

But another MP from the state and former commissioner of police H T Sangliana made it clear that MPs don't have any such provisions.

"As of today we don't have any provision to use a golden background on your number plates," said Sangliana.
"The rules that apply to the common people apply to us and we follow them. Any MP taking exemption is wrong."

What the law says

The Central Motor Vehicles Act specifies that plates for private cars and two-wheeler owners should have a white background with black lettering (e.g, KA 02 MO 007). Commercial vehicles that include hired vehicles like taxis and trucks should have a yellow background and a black text (e.g., KA 02 MO 007).u00a0

Specifications

Letters: 4.5 cm high / 1 cm thick
Numerals: 6 cm high / 1 cm thick
Space between letters / numerals should not be less than 1 cm.
The MP uses a vehicle that has a number plate not belonging to any of above.