DUSHANBE, November 26, 2008, Asia-Plus – Tajik law enforcement authorities are concerned over increase in the number of cars with tinted glass windows in the country, an official with the traffic police directorate within the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in an interview with Asia-Plus today.
He said raids made by traffic police officers in Dushanbe and nearby districts yesterday alone resulted in detention of 160 such cars. “All of them were driven to the penalty area where their holders will get rid of tints,” the traffic police official said, noting that only a special category of cars may have tinted glass windows.
“Only service cars of first persons of the country as well as well as special operational vehicles of the law enforcement agencies, totaling 31 cars, may have tinted glass windows,” he said, noting that under the adopted regulations, at least 75 per cent of light must pass through the driver’s side windows.
According to him, the raids were made after officials and police watched the fashion for darkened windows spreading wider in the country.
The weapon of choice for traffic patrols is a Russian-made electronic device known is the Blik (Glare), which shines light through glass and measures the amount that gets through.
Under regulations adopted in Tajikistan, vehicles may have tint on the windshield as dark as 25 percent, windows to the immediate left and right of the driver — 30 percent, and rear windows – 30.
We will recall that Tajik MPs on April 23 2008 unanimously voted for amendment to the country’s administrative code permitting use of cars with tinted glass windows in Tajikistan.
Presenting the amendment, Tojiddin Tourayev, the member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Committee for Constitution, Legislation and Human Rights, noted that the amendment provides for permitting the use of cars with glass windows, tinted in accordance with standards, recognized in all CIS states, including Tajikistan. According to the CIS standards, vehicles may have tint on the windshield as dark as 25 percent, windows to the immediate left and right of the driver — 30 percent, and rear windows — 100 percent, Tourayev said.
