Sound No Shrill Horns! Cops Book 487 Cases-Gain Rs 4.87 lacs in Fines
Mangaluru: As if the City’s shameful traffic jams were not enough to worsen the living conditions, the ceaseless sounding of horn by motorists, especially shrill horns by bus drivers, and especially near hospitals, has begun to badly affect the recovery of patients. Doctors at Govt Wenlock Hospital and Fr Muller hospital say the rate of patient recovery has been going down, thanks to the rising sound levels from vehicles. The noise level is no lesser than 80-90 decibels around hospitals, much higher than the stipulated 50 decibels. A perimeter of 100 metres around any school, hospital or court is considered a ‘silent zone’. Motorists, however, hardly heed the rule, and flagrantly honk even in these zones.
As many hospitals are on the City’s busy thoroughfares with high traffic density, high levels of sound disturb patients psychologically, hindering the healing process. Dr Naresh Rao speaking to Team Mangalorean said , “The condition of a few patients had worsened due to shrill sounds whereas most of them showed symptoms of hypertension. Patients are in a state of mild depression because of the illness. The loud sound only leads to more restlessness, causing sleep disorders,” he added, suggesting that the best way would be to use asbestos and sound-absorbing materials in hospital buildings. Making motorists sensitive to the plight of patients is a Herculean task, he maintained. Yet another doctor said, “Motorists pay no regard to ‘No Honking’ boards outside hospitals. If sound levels are above the permissible limit, patients will certainly be irritated. As a result, they get agitated and their blood pressure levels are likely to go up, leading to further complications,” he explained.
But one thing about our local bus drivers is that they have no shame, even after they have been fined by the traffic cops for using loud horns, they still repeat the same offence. The increasing number of traffic violations has sent the cops on an overdrive as they have penalized 487 errant drivers (past six days) during the busy evening rush hours for honking and using loud horns-thereby raking in big bucks in fines. The traffic cops also slapped fines on conductors for not wearing uniforms, and also drivers for not stopping at the designated bus stops. The cops didn’t heed to any excuses put forth to them by the bus drivers or conductors, instead coolly punched in the license plate numbers on their Blackberry’s and issued them the Rs 100 violation ticket popped out from the hand device.
The use of shrill horns by city and inner-city private buses, which is barred under the Motor Vehicles Act, has been a concern among motorists. An intensive drive against the use of shrill horns started last Tuesday with 187 cases being booked at Lady Hill and in Panambur- and apsrt from removing the shrill horns, the police net in Rs 18,700 in fines on that day. On Sept 28, 173 cases were booked and a fine of Rs 17,300 was collected. On Sept 29, 107 buses were booked and Rs 10,700 collected in fines. And during the last couple of days, 40 cases were booked, and Rs 5000 was collected in fines.
Also in response to the phone-in programme by the city police commissioner, the South Sub Division police officers carried out a road safety drive on Monday morning and booked 563 traffic-related cases, of which were 273 for riding without helmet, 69 cases for having tinted windows, 46 for violating one-way traffic rule, among many other cases. The traffic check was done at Mudipu, Thokkuttu, Vamanjoor, Kudupi and the surrounding areas.
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