CHENNAI: With only a few days remaining before the Formula 4 car race is set to take place in Chennai at the end of the month, ANS Prasad, a spokesperson for the Tamil Nadu BJP, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court seeking to halt the event as it would endanger the safety of the road users and the general public.
When Prasad’s counsel requested an urgent hearing, Acting Chief Justice D.K. Krishnakumar indicated that the matter would be taken up once the necessary formalities were completed.
The petitioner contends that the state government has not issued any official notification regarding the race, despite the announcement made by the minister on August 24, stating that the event would be held from August 31 to September 1 in Chennai.
Prasad expressed concern over what he describes as a lack of transparency and preparation by the government. According to the petitioner, a vehicle designed for enclosed tracks to be driven on public roads is a violation of various provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Highlighting the planned race route, the petitioner pointed out that road closures and diversions would cause significant inconvenience to daily commuters. “The intention of the state to conduct the street race is something that lingers and is yet to be answered. Many countries conduct street race formats owing to the lack of infrastructure of race track. This is not the case since Chennai is well equipped with race track at Irungattukottai,” the petitioner stated.
The petitioner has requested the court to issue an interim injunction to prevent the authorities from proceeding with the race
It may be noted that the government planned to conduct the race late in 2023 but a batch of PILs were filed then. When cyclone Michaung hit Chennai in December, the government postponed the event. Later, the court allowed the event to be held with conditions to ensure safety of the public.