KOCHI: In an unusual procedure, the motor vehicle department (MVD) took to the roads with rollers to destroy a huge number of air horns. The move, meant for awareness, is part of the department’s special drive to capture illegally fitted high-decibel air horns from heavy vehicles.
What started the process off was an incident in Kothamangalam, when Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar was addressing the gathering during the inauguration of the new bus stand there. A private bus passed by at high speed and honking aggressively, drawing the minister’s ire. Right on the spot, he ordered action against the bus and the driver.
And the MVD followed up, despite the bus staff apologising for their actions. Subsequently, the minister ordered a week-long drive to crack down on the illegal use of air horns in vehicles. According to officials, MVD seized around 400 to 500 high-decibel air horns in the drive carried out at various locations in Ernakulam district from October 13 to 19.
“These are being destroyed using rollers to create an awareness among bus operators and the general public on the necessity to abide by rules. The effort started on Saturday, as we took the massive pile of horns to a vacant road near Kammattipadam and destroyed them using road rollers,” an MVD official said.
The prolonged blowing of high-decibel air horns – which contributes to noise pollution, poses health risks, and is a direct risk to smaller vehicles and pedestrians on roads – has long been banned by the authorities but it continues to be highly favoured by bus and heavy vehicle drivers across the state.