CCC's Appeal To Ban Air Horns
The Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC) has appealed to the Transport Department to enforce the relevant rules regarding ban on air horns strictly. In a memorandum, the Secretary of CCC, K. Kathirmathiyon said that six years ago Coimbatore District was declared as “Air Horn Free” District, due to strict enforcement of Rules by the Transport Department. But now the menace had increased manifold without any signs of restriction or enforcement rove against air horns formed part of the routine check up conducted by the officials having statistics to claim and prove that action was being taken in this regard.
As per Central Motor Vehicle Rule 119(2), no motor vehicle shall be fitted with multi toned horn giving a succession of different notes or with any other sound producing device giving an unduly harsh, shrill loud or alarming noise.
But in most of the private buses, one could observe that the horns were very harsh and alarming and a visit to the Gandhipuram Central Bus stand would prove this fact especially during the peak hours. For noise pollution, the Pollution Control Board could impose a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh in their joint inspection and because of which the air horn menace was completely eradicated. The Transport Department could organize checking of Air Horns along with the Pollution Control Board officials and initiate stringent action against the erring buses.
During many such enforcement drives, the authorities had merely removed the air horns without initiating any further stringent or rigid action. The CCC suggested that air, harsh and alarming horns could not be fitted without the knowledge of the owners, hence action should be initiated against the permit granted for the bus. Elimination of the menace by the Department through rigid enforcement had already been proved.
