Law prohibits mechanical modification of vehicles to increase exhaust sound

Kathmandu, July 20

Motorcyclists, who enjoy revving up engines on the streets, have added to noise pollution in Kathmandu valley, but traffic police are least concerned about this nuisance.

Traffic police have effectively enforced the ban on honking in Kathmandu valley, but it seems that they are reluctant to take action against motorcyclists who get the silencers of their bikes mechanically modified and contribute to increasing noise pollution in the capital.

The number of youths using fancy bikes has increased in recent years. Some fancy bikes have factory-made brutal exhaust sound, but some motorcyclists get the silencers of their motorbikes modified for loud exhaust sound.

Motor Vehicle and Transport Management Act strictly prohibits any mechanical modification of vehicles to increase exhaust sound or for any other purposes.

In June 2017, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division had decided to take action against mechanically modified vehicles, but, many youths are still riding such motorbikes openly on the roads of Kathmandu valley.

Spokesperson for MTPD Superintendent of Police Rabi Kumar Poudel claimed that they were taking action against bikers using manipulated exhaust sound on a regular basis.

However, MTPD has no official record of those who faced the music for manipulating the exhaust sound of their bikes.

Head of MTPD SSP Basant Kumar Pant said, “Although we have not started any crack down on such motorists, we have not turned a blind eye to this problem either. Pant also said that in most of the cases excessive noise was the result of revving up the engine for which we could not take any legal action.

“ We can take action if a motorist has mechanically modified the silencer,” he added.

MTPD booked 30,027 persons for needless honking till February end this year.

Of the 3,539,518 vehicles registered in the country, 71.5 per cent are motorbikes.

A total number of 2,530,722 bikes were registered with the Department of Transport Management as of mid-March this year.