The initiative is to make people aware of the ill effects caused by honking, especially to the ears
Hyderabad: It has been established that honking and horns from RTC buses that go up to 113 deciBels are the most notorious noise polluters in the city. This fact was revealed by traffic volunteers during the course of a ‘no honking’ campaign at Uppal crossroads on Sunday.
The initiative is aimed at making people aware of the ill-effects caused by honking, especially to the ears.
“The new electric buses have soft horns, while most of the older buses often excessively use loud horns which reach up to 100 decibels or more. Drivers don’t realise the harm they’re causing to themselves, especially during their 10-12 hour shifts,” said Naresh Raghavan, an author on road safety.
Many bus drivers said that unless they sounded the horn, motorists do not move at the required pace.
According to Lokendra Singh, a traffic volunteer, “For someone stuck in traffic, prolonged exposure to loud horns can negatively impact their mood and mental health. That volatile temperament will remain all through the day.”
He explained that vehicular honking accounted for 25 per cent of the overall noise pollution, with traffic congestion and transportation contributing nearly 50 per cent.
Traffic volunteers identified two major causes of excessive honking— one on roads where buses and autorickshaws often congregate while in the other case many pedestrians cross the road oblivious of the traffic signals.
The Uppal traffic police have supported the campaign.
“Many people don’t leave their homes on time and then rush to reach their destinations quickly, causing excessive honking,” said Uppal station house officer K. Nagaraju. “Honking does not solve the problem but only distracts drivers and increases stress and anxiety levels on the road.”
Anuradha Reddy, a 75-year-old volunteer, shared her experience saying, “By taking part in this campaign we understood how vulnerable traffic police are. While buses and trucks honk out of necessity when people don’t move, the intensity of their horns is horrendous.”
Altaf Ahmed Ansari, another traffic volunteer, brought his two children along to participate. “Change starts with small initiatives. If we continue such awareness campaigns, we can eventually impact people’s behaviour,” he said.
His ten-year daughter Aayat Fatima Ansari said, “In Dubai, people maintain traffic discipline. Seeing the chaotic traffic here, I wanted to volunteer,” she said.
The campaign received an overwhelming response, which should encourage the authorities to organise
Similar exercises across localities and junctions.
