No Honk (Wednes)Day: Mumbai CP Sanjay Pandey's new move

Traffic cops had, on an experimental basis, observed ‘No Honking Hours’ between 5 pm and 7 pm on Saturday at several places including Marine Drive. File pic/Ashish Raje

No Honk Day, to be observed every Wednesday, is the newest initiative of the Mumbai police. In a bid to reduce noise pollution and unnecessary honking, Commissioner of Police Sanjay Pandey on Tuesday instructed all motorists in the city to observe the day, failing which cops would take action. He also asked police officers to sensitise people about noise pollution and its ill effects.

The issue of unnecessary honking is an old one and many organisations had urged CP Pandey to take action on honkers. Cops have observed that many motorists honk unnecessarily, and mostly after the signal turns green. The commissioner had earlier asked cops to take action against such motorists, following which 15,389 motorists were booked in May.

"On an experimental basis, we observed ‘No Honking Hours' on Saturday (May 28) between 5 pm and 7 pm on some prominent streets and received a good response. So, we are taking it forward and observing it for a day," said a senior police officer from the traffic department, adding, "Tomorrow all traffic division officers will be on streets for the same."

"We are urging citizens not to honk unnecessarily, which is not only harmful for residents around but motorists on the road too. On Wednesday, the traffic department will strictly implement it," said Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Rajvardhan. The fine for those found honking is set at R1,000. Irfan Machiwala, member of Mahim Residents Group, said, "My building is on SVS Road in Mahim and there's too much noise due to honking, especially in the night when bikers often race. We tried to counsel the motorists, but to no avail. Cops should definitely take action against these people and do it every day of the week." He also sought action against garages that change the horns.

Welcoming the step, Sumaira Abdulali, founder of NGO Awaaz Foundation, said, "Enforcement is the key which will bring awareness among motorists. The permissible limit of noise in the city at day time is 55 decibel and 45 dB at night, but many junctions observe noise levels above 110 dB. Police should focus on roads under flyovers that have residential buildings around it, as this amplifies the noise."

"We welcome this decision as honking is a huge menace in the Pali Hill area too. Currently, road construction is going on here which has added to the honking. Of course we can't expect a miracle in one day but we are happy that the issue is getting attention. Cops should focus on main roads first and then on arterial ones," said Madhu Poplai, secretary of Pali Hill Residents Association. Dhaval Shah, chairman of Lokhandwala-Oshiwara Citizens Association, said, "This is a very good initiative. As far as Andheri is concerned, it's the most crowded and noisy part of the city. If this drive is implemented, lakhs of residents will definitely get respite from noise pollution."

Rs 1000
Fine for honking on Wednesdays