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Motor Traffic Chief sounds out warning on noise pollution
Motorists, especially those who drive vending vehicles, beware!
Police will soon come down hard on you if you become a noise polluter by using multi-tone or musical horns to sell bread, ice-cream or other products or if your vehicle horn’s sound level goes beyond the limits set by new regulations.
The warning came from the Motor Traffic Commissioner General S. H. Harischandra who said under the regulations passed recently motorists who contribute to noise pollution would be slapped six of the 24 penalty points – a score at which a motorist’s driving licence would be suspended for one year.
The Commissioner General said the new regulations which would come into effect next month would supersede the existing regulations under the present Motor Traffic Act, in terms of which only a spot fine of Rs. 100 was imposed on an offending motorist for noise pollution or sounding the vehicle horn in a manner that it became a public nuisance. Mr. Harischandra said a proposal to increase the fine in addition to the six penalty points was also under consideration.
Sri Lanka has 3.2 million motor vehicles and a majority of the vehicles stream in to urban areas creating noise pollution, which has been identified as one of the factors that contribute to accidents during morning and evening rush hours, the Sunday Times learns.
The Motor Traffic Chief also said instruments — Class 1 acoustic calibrators (sound level meters) – that were being bought to test the decibel levels of vehicle horns cost Rs. 100,000 each. He said roadside random checks would be carried out by police on vehicles to crack down on noise polluters. He says quotations had been called for the supply of sound meters and initially the tests would be conducted in Colombo and its outskirts.
Mr. Harishchandra said emergency service vehicles such as ambulances, fire-engines and police and armed forces vehicles would be exempted from the new regulations.
He also said vehicles that were imported would also be subjected to sound checks at ports and if the sound level of the horns was above the permissible limit, the Customs would detain such vehicles.
The Commissioner General warned motorists that the department would consider noise pollution as a serious offence and vehicle users should act in compliance with the new regulations.Traffic Police Chief K. Arasaratnam told the Sunday Times that as the law enforcing agency, police would take necessary measures in terms of the new motor traffic regulations to combat noise pollution.
He said vehicles which had been equipped with multi-tone horns or musical horns would not be allowed to be used, especially in urban areas.
The Senior Superintendent said traffic police officers and officers of other departments in the police were being instructed on the new regulations aimed at cracking down on motorists who contributed to noise pollution.
Central Environmental Authority Director General Ramani Ellepola said noise polluters could also be liable under the National Environment Act, in terms of which a court could impose a fine between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 100,000 on the violator.
Describing the new regulations as a welcome move, she said the authority would monitor their implementation and extend its cooperation to law enforcement authorities to reduce the noise pollution level in the country.
Also welcoming the new regulations was Senior Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunawardena. He said the regulations were a positive move.
He said vehicle users should act with responsibly and maintain their vehicles in an environmental friendly manner. He also called for the speedy implementation of the new regulations.
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