Citizens hail Centre's ban on red beacons atop VIP cars

New Delhi, April 20: Citizens have hailed the Union Cabinet’s decision to ban the use of red beacons atop vehicles of dignitaries and government officials. Over 10,000 citizens from across the country have expressed their displeasure via discussions and polls conducted by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles on the use of beacons and prevalent VIP culture. A whopping 94 per cent demanded that the central government and all Chief Ministers should ban beacons on government vehicles.

The poll was conducted in the last week of March 2017 after the Chief Minister of UP and Punjab said they would stop the use of beacons on vehicles.

Around 94 per cent people said that it should definitely be done with only 4 per cent voting against it. Two per cent chose not to express their opinion. The poll had received responses from 10,152 people. In another poll that was conducted in August 2016 and got more than 11,000 responses, LocalCircles had asked citizens if they had experienced VIP culture prevalent in their city during their travels. 87 per cent had replied in an affirmative with 8 per cent not agreeing to it and 5 per cent not being sure about it. Citizens also demanded other ways of reducing VIP culture in the country. These included the word “VIP” being removed from tens of thousands entrances, doors, lounges and entry gates, roads not being closed for more than 10 minutes for a VIP movement, and also VIP quota in Railways being trimmed and only utilized in case of real emergencies and the lile. (IANS)