Kathmandu, September 3

Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has started deploying plainclothes traffic cops to catch and penalise motorists who are caught honking unnecessarily while driving.

DIG Sarbendra Khanal, MTPD in-charge, said the move was initiated after drivers showed little respect to the law that prohibited needless honking. “Undercover traffic cops will mingle with motorists and give ticket to anyone found honking unnecessarily,” he warned. This is expected to be effective in catching offenders as drivers tend to breach traffic rules when they don’t see on-duty cops in uniform.

MTPD had imposed a ban on needless honking under Section 164 (c) of the Motor Vehicle and Transport Management Act in Kathmandu Valley with effect from April 14. Though the motorists seemed to respect the rules for a few weeks, the tendency of using horns has become rampant of late.

“No one shall blow horn under circumstances other than invisibility of vehicles coming from the opposite direction and when there is a higher chance of accident in the event of not blowing the horn,” says the law. This provision is applicable to all public, private, tourist and government-owned vehicles, both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

Emergency vehicles, ambulances, fire engines and police vans/jeeps shall not be obliged to follow the rule. The traffic cop may fine an offender up to Rs 500 if he/she is found blowing horn without reason. Needless honking is a major factor causing noise pollution in the Valley where more than 850,000 vehicles ply daily.

Noise pollution in commercial places, new and old residential areas and tourist spots of the Valley exceed the Guidelines for Community Noise set by the World Health Organisation. Human ear can tolerate only 26 decibels of sound, say the WHO. Sound exceeding 70 dB is detrimental to health.