FILE: Bratya Basu and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay (L). TOI photo

KOLKATA: Stripped of the privilege of beacons , ministers are making a beeline for police escort to ensure that VIP treatment during travel rem-ains unimpeded. On the very first day of the ban on bea-cons, Kolkata Police received a 68% jump in requisition for police escort vehicles.

On May 1, the ministry of road transport and highways issued a notification that ended the age-old practice of VIPs using and misusing red and blue beacons atop vehicles.

“Usually, 20 to 22 pilot cars are allotted for VIP movement in and around Kolkata every day. On Tuesday, the number shot up to 37. More requisitions are pouring in for the next few days but we don’t know how we would cope,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar.

Till last month, several ministers didn’t ask for pilot cars as the red beacon fitted atop their cars did the job. But with the beacons gone, ministers and senior IAS officials want police escort to clear their way. Many are exploring other means of staying imp-ortant on the road. Some have already ordered new brass plates with “Government of West Bengal” embossed on them; some will even have their names and designations embossed on the plates. Then there are others who have decided to use the Tricolour on the flag thumb installed on the car bonnet.

Agriculture minister Purnendu Bose was among those who requisitioned police escort on Tuesday. “I don’t want to be a violator. So I removed the beacon on April 30 itself. But I opted for police escort since I had to attend meetings and needed to reach there urgently. I am entitled to a pilot car during an emergency,” said Bose.

Similarly, power minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay and consumer affairs minister Sadhan Pandey plan to take police escorts during movements because they don’t want to waste time in traffic snarls.

While many are opting for pilot cars, there were also those like mayor Sovan Chatterjee who had the tricolour put up on the flag thumbs on the car bonnet. “I always comply with law. So I asked my driver to remove the blue beacon. Using the flag is not against law,” said Chatterjee, who is also the state environment minister.

At the state’s pool car garage in Bhowanipore, one could sense the despondence of drivers who were miffed at their cars being shorn of the light that accorded them unrestricted movement and right to violate traffic norms.

“The beacons made us powerful. When we approached a major intersection, cops cleared the road. We didn’t need to stand at red signals like other cars and parking was never an issue. Now that the beacons are gone, I don’t know where will we park our cars in case of a major event in the city or while accompanying any VVIPs when there is a flurry of cars,” said the driver, of a cabinet minister.

