Mumbai, Jul 1: Mumbai is a bustling city. The people, crowds, stray animals and roadside sellers jostling with ever-chaotic traffic, makes for a one-of-a-kind experience. But silence may soon prevail on Mumbai roads.

As per a report in DNA India, needless honking in silent zones will soon become a punishable offence under the Maharashtra Transport and Road Safety Act, 2017. Passed in the state assembly in April, section 20 of the Act prohibits drivers from honking “needlessly or continuously or more than what is necessary to ensure safety”, from honking in a silent zone, using multi-toned horns creating harsh, shrill, loud or alarming noise, or from driving vehicles that have a modified exhaust leading to creation of undue noise.

But it seems the Act has no teeth as, so far, penalizing offenders has not started. In an affidavit before the Bombay High Court on Thursday, through the Government Pleader Abhinandan Vaguani and Advocate Manish Pabale, stated that the bill was awaiting the presidential nod for implementation of all the provisions of the Act.

The affidavit suggests the inclusion of a number of sections that could be very useful for the betterment of traffic woes in the city. One such provision is the creation of a separate safety fund, that would help fund various initiatives like raising public awareness about noise pollution. Another provision that the affidavit states is a database of noise mapping, that has so far been created in 22 cities.