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Ban honking - proposal
Written By mbnataraj - 16 May, 2010
Traffic Bangalore Action Enforcement Honking Pollution Supreme Court
Dear Honorable Authorities in power who can do something, You all are also victims of all these problems facing us 24/7. and you have the powers to make a difference.
Please DO.
Enclosed a request to Ban honking in Bangalore, submitted to prior authorities 3 years ago. without any perceptible results so far.
1) Honking: The problem has become extremely acute because between then and now almost EIGHT LAKHS (800 per day x 1000 days) have been added in to the unchanged 4,500 kms roads of Bengaluru. These have added almost 1.5 MILLION TONS of pollutants (1500 tons/day) into the air around Bangalore.
Every honk disturbs 8000 individuals at the present rate of population density in Bangalore. Honking has been known to encourage reckless driving rather than being an index of careful driving. No accident has so far occurred due to proven failure to honk. Infact all accidents honking does happen but accidents still occur probably due to recklessness arising out of overconfidence in honking.
The loss of hearing due to high decibel noise is IRREVERSIBLE. It has been grossly magnified by the loud musical/pneumatic/air/4 wheeler like horns on 2 wheelers. All these banned horns should be spot destroyed. ORDERS should be issued to this effect immediately.
The supreme court has already mandated 45-65 db noise levels.
Any honking is in violation of the law. It is grossly fallacious to claim that honking prevents / averts accidents. Everyone does not have to be made a victim 24/7 for the sake of 3 accidents per day which can be averted by slower and safer driving anyway?
Honking can be easily banned under the authority of the supreme court mandate by just an order from the DGP/Commissioner.if nightlife affecting hardly 5 or 10 percent of population can be rigorously controlled under the police act orders/rules, why not provide relief to Millions of citizens 24/7? It just needs an initiative from the right authority.
if someone honks only to avoid an accident they need not be penalized instead of letting millions of people suffer noise pollution and consequent hearing loss mood changes , hypertension, irritability and a host of cascading health problems arising of noise pollution.
COMMENTS
idontspam - 16 May, 2010 - 04:24
Enclosed a request to Ban honking in Bangalore, submitted to prior authorities 3 years ago. without any perceptible results so far.
Do you realize how juvenile a suggestion this is? Honking misuse is not solved by a GO, it is solved by altering social behaviour on the roads. I can see from your profile you are a part of Mr MN Sreehari's organization. I shouldnt expect better.
Any honking is in violation of the law.
Which law? Then manufacturers must be sued for abetment to this crime, why arent you campaigning against manufacturers fitting horn on their vehicles.
silkboard - 16 May, 2010 - 04:29
Rules and laws are not answers for everything. There is no point asking for rules that can't be enforced.
By the way, I have noticed that levels of honking have gone down in Bangalore over the years. Most honking comes from cabs (at signals, just when light goes green), and aggressive two wheelers who fear getting ignored by bigger vehicles.
Two things that can reduce honking "needs"
- Enforcing lane driving, thus more prdictable behavior
- enforcing pedestrain signals, and better pavements so that people don't come in the way of vehicles.
E.R. Ramachandran - 20 May, 2010 - 12:39
I would recommend following steps which we tried in Mysore, beacuse the Police Commissioner, 4/5 years backe refused to think honking was a problem at all!
1.Measure the soundlevel at Residential places using sound level meters at 3 to 4 locations morning, afternoon and peak hour traffic in the evening for a week. You will be surprised at the variations. In the evenings it used to be 100 to 120 db - equivalent of drilling.
AIISH helped us to do the scientific monitoring near Ramakrishna Ashrama, Railway Hospital, Venkataramana swamy temple in Vontikoppal.
2. Armed with data, we prepared a memorandum seeking 'banning of honking by 'no honking' boards and fining the culprits.
3. Swamiji Atmavidananadji of Ramakrishna Ashrama, Rly hospital director, vikram hospitals, Trustee of Venkataramana swami temple were some of the important members who signed.
4. We submitted the Memorandum to then C.M.,S.M. Krishna and the Governor who had come for golden jubilee of Ramakrishna school thro' Swamiji.
5. The 'No Horn' boards were put in 3 to 4 places within a week.
Final story: Despite Boards, Warnings to KSRTCdrivers and fines to private cars, buses, HORNING CONTINUES UNABATEDLY.
There is a saying in Kannada: 'Naavu irode heege swami'! ( 'We are like this only!)
ERR
Honking - Road manners need improvement
Naveen - 16 May, 2010 - 12:18
I don't think banning horns or banning honking entirely is the answer for reduction of street noise levels. Horns are necessary for vehicles during emergencies, or in circumstances where other vehicles or road users, such as pedestrians need to be alerted.
It's just that driving & pedestrian habits in India are extremely poor & most of us use horns as if it were the norm, rather than the exception. I agree with IDS - what we need is a complete overhaul of driving habits & campaigns for improvement of road manners.
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