Good while it lasted, expensive to remove

CHENNAI: It is over a week now since the ban on using sun control film on car windows came into effect. But step out on to any of the arterial roads in the city and you feel that the ban has been given a pass by motorists, who continue to use the darkest tinted glass despite the police crackdown. With the Supreme Court ruling that tinted film beyond a permissible limit is a violation of the Motor Vehicle Rules, the police began to fine car owners who continued to use them since last Monday. On the first day alone, over 3,300 persons were booked for the violation at 24 different spots in the city. However, this intensity, a senior official said, stagnated at about 2,500 cases on an average subsequently, with each case fetching Rs 100 for the police. So why has the police action not borne fruit? Motorists say if you are planning to a make a visit to the shop to have the sun control film removed, chances are that it might burn your pockets. Given the high demand from customers, the amount charged for the service has tripled in certain areas in the city, leaving car owners cursing the ban.According to car owners, shops dealing with car sun film have taken advantage of the rush to remove it and are charging exorbitant rates for the service. “A month ago, removing the film would cost at most Rs 400 to 500, including the process of cleaning the glue from the glass. But now I am paying `1,200,” said N Narasimhan, who had brought his Scorpio to one of the shops on General Patters Road.Customers say the shops in these mechanic hubs have formed a cartel and refuse to bargain on the price. “The maximum difference is Rs 100 if you bargain. They all quote the same price for the work,” said M R Ravindran, who refused to pay such a high price and decided to go to a smaller mechanic in Pudupet, where people in makeshift sheds remove the film for as little as Rs 200.In fact, the demand has ensured that many temporary film removal units sprout up across the city, with many propagating their service through SMS. Some car owners have begun to remove the film on their own, arguing that getting the car washed afterwards is cheaper. What irks people is the way the police remove the film when they are caught. “They say they are doing it free and can remove the film themselves. But they do not do it properly and we are forced to go to a shop for a clean window,” said V Sasikumar, a drama artist.Shop owners say that the rule has totally devastated their business. “We used to sell film for at least 30 cars a day, ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 for each. After the ban, we have not had got a single customer. That is why we charge so much; all our investment has gone down the drain,” said Murali, an accessories dealer on Wallajah Road.