285 drivers held for noise pollution

Two hundred and eighty five drivers have been held by the Environmental Police Unit of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) during a noise pollution control programme carried out recently, CEA Chairman Lal Dharmasiri said yesterday.

The programme held in collaboration with the Motor Traffic Department aimed at creating awareness on the use of extra vehicle horns.

In total, 338 vehicles have undergone tests during noise pollution control programmes held in Pettah, Galle, Kandy, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura and Ratmalana, he said.

The CEA Chairman stated that the driving licenses of 285 drivers have been seized, and they have been instructed to remove the extra vehicle horns within a given period of time in order to retrieve their licenses.

“It is disturbing and upsetting road users, including pedestrians. Loud horns are a major contributor to noise pollution. The bus drivers are the worst.

According to the law, drivers cannot toot horns with sound levels exceeding 105 decibels within a range of two metres. All the drivers we held exceeded the standard sound levels,” he said. (Piyumi Fonseka)