The Colombo Municipal Council Public Health Department will enforce a no-tooting-of horns programme today at 8.30 a.m. at the Council Premises.

The Council’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said this was the implementation of a law passed in 2011. He said although this duty does not directly come under his department, they took the initiative to reduce noise pollution in the city.

“The indiscriminate tooting of horns has caused a serious noise pollution issue. If we do not take action it will affect citizens in many ways. Schoolchildren will be unable to study and it will be an issue for tourism as well. If a city is prone to have high levels of noise pollution it can increase anxiety and mental pressure as well. The law on the permitted level of sound in vehicles was passed in 2011 although it was not properly implemented. We will be taking the first step today,” he said.

Dr. Wijayamuni said the Central Environment Authority, the Department of Motor Traffic, the Police Environment Unit and many other groups would participate in today’s programme while ten teams of officials would walk round the city educating drivers on the dangers of noise pollution.

He said they will be specially checking the sound levels in buses and action would be taken if the sound level of the horn was higher than the permitted level.

“Many complaints hve been received on the noise of bus horns. Therefore we will be inspecting the level of sound produced by horns used in buses,” he said. (Chathushika Wijeyesinghe)

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