MHC directs State to place permission to conduct F4 night street race

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit the permission obtained from all authorities, including the army and navy, for conducting a Formula 4 night street race in Chennai.

The case was listed before a division bench comprising Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq.

Litigant Shri Harish filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Madras High Court (MHC) seeking an interim injunction restraining the State from conducting the Formula 4 night street race at Island Ground, Chennai, which is scheduled on December 9 and 10, as it puts the general public's safety at stake.

Even though the State has an international racing circuit at Irungattukottai, the night street race is planned to conduct the race at the heart of the capital city, read the litigation. The race is planned to be held around the Island ground spanning a 3.7-kilometer circuit covering Flag Staff Road, Anna Salai, Swami Sivananda Salai, Napier Bridge, and Kamarajar Salai, said the litigant.

The high-speed cars, to be used in the racing event can clock 220 Kmph and can cause noise up to 120 decibels, which would easily result in several complications for the patients housed in the Multi Super Speciality Government Hospital at the Omandurar Government Estate that is situated within 50 m from the Sivananda Salai-Anna Salai junction, contended the litigant.

Furthermore, to transform the roads into a racing track by removing center medians, streetlights, pavements, and drains to make the roads suitable for racing, would be a burden to the thousands of poor lives, at a time when road safety remains a huge challenge, said the litigant.

The litigant also stated that the office of the commanding officer of the army, Dakshin Bharat Area is on the route of the race circuit and the area surrounding the said office on the Flag Staff Road and Anna Salai is entirely an army area where the restrictions are in place round the clock. without considering these factors the State is conducting the race.

Advocate General (AG) R Shunmugasundaram submitted that the commandants of the Army and Navy had been informed of the event and all authorities had granted permission for the event.

Formula 4 was the lowest level of racing compared with other versions of Formula races. The noise that would've emanated from the cars would be only 98 decibels and the organizers also will have installed noise cutters to prevent disturbance, contended the AG.

After the submission, the bench directed the State to submit typed sets with the permission obtained from all the authorities including, police, fire, navy, and army, and posted the matter to Thursday (November 30) for orders.