Kathmandu, June 21

Metropolitan Traffic Police Division is mulling over the possibility of taking action against motorcyclists who enjoy revving the engines loudly on the streets and add to noise pollution against the provisions of the Motor Vehicle and Transport Management Act.

This follows the ban on honking in Kathmandu Valley. At a meeting of the Commerce, Industry and Consumer Welfare Relations Committee of the Parliament in Singha Durbar today, MTPD in-charge said, “Though we enforced the ban on honking to reduce noise pollution, we still see the need in this regard to rein in the movement of fancy motorcycles that add to noise pollution. Traffic police have received complaints against such two-wheelers for terrorising road users.”

He also informed that traffic police were detaining such motorcycles to ascertain if their silencers were factory-made or modified. “Silencers of many of the fancy motorcycles were found to have been modified in violation of the existing laws. We can bring to book the modified bikes, but the question remains: What can be done to persons riding two-wheelers whose silencers are fixed by the company as per their cubic capacity,” he wondered. Mechanical modification of original shape of any vehicle is punishable under the law.

According to MTPD, it will discuss the issue with the Department of Transport Management to find an amicable solution to the problem. The DoTM may prohibit entry of such bikes inside the Ring Road area.

DIG Lama stressed the need to regulate bikes producing high noise levels in the interest of the public as they were contributing to noise pollution. The sound levels of some bikes were over 110 decibels against the maximum limit of 84, according to officials.