March 3: Police have gone on an overdrive, fining drivers of cars with commercial registration for not having red reflective tapes on the rear.

Traffic sergeants have been slapping cases of "violation of central motor vehicles rules" on drivers of such cars.

But many in the transport department said today that cops have erred in interpreting the rules.

Metro found a team of traffic cops stopping at least five cars with commercial registration yesterday evening. All the drivers claimed ignorance about the rules, though.

An officer said the transport department had issued an order on February 22, asking the police to prosecute all commercial vehicles, including app cabs and taxis, if reflective tapes were found missing.

Traffic sergeants claimed Section 104 of the central motor vehicles rules that deals with reflective tapes had always been there. Private vehicles aren't within its ambit, an officer said.

A traffic officer said at least 15 drivers of cars with commercial registration had been fined Rs 100 each over the past few days.

A reflective tape helps prevent accidents as drivers can spot vehicles in the dark from afar. The thrust is primarily on heavy commercial vehicles, including trailers, construction equipment vehicles, agricultural tractors and power tillers, a source in the ministry of road transport and highways said.

"All commercial vehicles like taxis or app cabs have to be fitted with reflective tapes," V. Solomon Nesakumar, deputy commissioner, traffic, said.

The use of reflective tapes would be applicable to vehicles with seating capacity of more than eight or nine, an official said. "Taxis or smaller vehicles clearly don't fall in the category. If small cars are being fined, it's illegal."

Traffic sergeants said Lalbazar had recently forwarded a transport department notification, asking cops to ensure reflective tapes were fitted on vehicles under sections 104, 104A and 104B of the central motor vehicles rules.

The latest amendment to section 104 has created two categories, M 2 and M 3, of vehicles. M 2 refers to vehicles with 8+1 or more seating capacity and M 3 refers to 9+ 1 or more.

Transport bosses said the notification that the traffic cops were talking of had been sent in February 2015, asking them to implement the central rule regarding reflective tapes at the time of registration, granting fitness certificates as well as on roads.

"The traffic police have now started acting. But they seem to be erring in interpreting the rules," a transport official said.