Hyderabad, May 6 (IANS): Stepping up its drive against vehicles fitted with sirens and multi-toned horns, Hyderabad traffic police have filed 1,557 cases in the last 12 days.

The police also removed illegally fitted sirens while the field officers also appraised rule position to the owners/drivers of the vehicles, said G. Sudheer Babu, Additional Commissioner of Police, on Saturday.

The traffic police have also served 134 notices to car decors/mechanics fitting the sound producing devices which are not authorised under law.

They have been asked to restrain themselves from fitting illegal sirens and warned of legal action, if they violated the contents of the notice served to them. The police will convene a meeting with car decor shop owners.

The Additional Commissioner said the traffic police will continue this special drive until last siren got removed. He asked the drivers of vehicles to cooperate with traffic police during the vehicle checks.

Vehicle owners are fitting the sirens with an intention to alert fellow motorists for traffic clearance and thereby causing annoyance to commuters. The act of such owners of vehicles, who are using sirens unauthorisedly, is blatant violation of Motor Vehicles Act.

The High Courts, in their judgments, also instructed police to take stringent action against those flouting rules related to horns and confiscate siren/multi-toned horns of vehicles if found. "Hyderabad Traffic police will file a criminal case if the respondents repeat violation of the Rule 119 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989," the Additional Commissioner said.

The police requested the owners of vehicles especially cars/SUVs not to fit/use sirens unauthorisedly and also informed car decor owners that fitting of siren/multi toned horns is a violation of Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

The drivers of authorised vehicles (those fitted with sirens) have been advised to use the siren sparingly and in case of emergency only.