HANDS OFF THE HORN
Honking this week could invite trouble ………Nitasha Natu I TNN
Mumbai: The next time you honk repeatedly at a red light, don’t be surprised to see a traffic cop walking upto you sternly. Starting Thursday, the Mumbai Traffic police is launching a No-Honking campaign to bring down noise pollution and trying to kick out the habit of unnecessary honking by motorists. The campaign will be carried out for over a week. The last time the drive was carried out, the cops had netted 41,000 cases.
“The motive is not to lodge more cases but to educate motorists and lessen the noise on the streets,’’ joint police commissioner Sanjay Barve said on Wednesday. The traffic cops will focus on stretches which have maximum honking like Mohammad Ali Road. “We have already put up a large billboard in the area to deter motorists from honking unnecessarily. Around 100 placards and banners will be put up in other parts of the city,’’ Barve said.
While the fine imposed is Rs 100, repeated offenders could even face cancellation of their driving licences.
The traffic police has also tied up with the Idea Academy of theatre artists, who will perform street plays on the adverse affects of unnecessary honking on health. Not wanting to leave any stone unturned, the police will also be targeting schoolchildren by distributing stickers which have phrases like ‘Dad, don’t honk’ written over them. The kids are encouraged to paste these stickers on their parents’ cars and bikes.
“The street play will appeal to people from all strata as it speaks in their language,’’ Barve said. “The plan to involve schoolchildren can be really effective. If a cop tells you not to honk, you may not take it seriously but it’s different when your own child tells you the same thing. We can also extend this programme for seatbelt usage.’’
The antidrunk driving campaign, being implemented by the cops for two years, has brought down fatalities drastically by 10-15%.
“After the campaign began on June 20, 2007, more than 28,000 people have been caught for drunk driving. Of these, more than 11,000 have undergone imprisonment and around 12,000 have had their licences suspended,’’ said DCP Harish Baijal.