Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi
Udupi, Apr 4: Udupi city traffic police cracked down on buses, especially those that use high decibel horns, and intercepted over 233 service as well as city buses near Court Road in the city on Saturday April 4.
In response to public complaints and by Udupi court judges, the SP has taken stern action against the use of vacuum horns instead of battery horns. The traffic police collected fine of Rs 24, 500 in one day. The cops stopped the buses which were using high-decibel horns on Court Road and horns of several buses were removed indiscriminately.
The buses disturb the peace in the court, Taluk office, church, hospital at Alankar, and in the school zone. They also startle the pedestrians and elderly people while crossing the road or walking by the road. According to doctors, the noise pollution will have a negative impact on their minds.
The traffic police tried their best to control the decibel horns and conducted a meeting regarding removal of such horns a week ago. But the bus operators did not act on the intimation. As a result, four traffic police personnel undertook this operation beginning in the morning on Saturday.
They examined horns as well as emission certificates, licenses, seat belts, uniforms, and insurance status of the vehicle with the fine varying for each offence. The vacuum horns used in buses fetched a fine of Rs 200 each.
Despite the court notice, if drivers continue using air horns, they have to pay fines directly in court and the amount is expected to be up to Rs 2,000.
Traffic 1 Rajgopal, Traffic 2 Jaya, and Prakash ESI participated in this operation.
Electronic receipts are back:
SP Annamalai reinstated the Blackberry machine to ensure transparency in the administration. The machine used for issuing receipts is directly connected to the SP’s control room. After a gap of two long years it has been revived. Many a time, the traffic police had to face awkward situations due to technical snags. But now it is compulsory. The machine also controls malpractice of traffic police who collect unnecessary fines.