If you have a loud exhaust in your Royal Enfield or in any other bike in Bokaro, you might land in trouble soon.
Keeping a check on rising noise pollution, motorcycles with modified silencers are banned in Bokaro district. Following the directive Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar, police plan to launch a crackdown on bikers who use modified silencers that create bursting sounds, MM Prasad Sinha DSP Traffic Bokaro. "Our force will penalise the vehicle owners and will also ensure that these exhaust systems are replaced. Such nuisance will not be tolerated," he added.
The DSP said, under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, 80 decibels is the maximum noise limit for motorcycles and scooters. But, bikers who use modified silencers on their vehicles violate the norms. "A bike fitted with modified silencer produces noise that is at least of 120 decibels and often above 130 decibels," he added.
"Alteration of a factory model is illegal under the Motor Vehicles Act. The motorcycles have stock silencers with three filters to produce low sound. But, bikers often alter the silencer to produce loud sound,” said a district transport official. This can attract a penalty, he said. Most of the young bikers opt for aftermarket silencers on motorcycles especially on Royal Enfield bikes and many cities across the country are facing a nuisance, said another transport official.
The loud thumping noise from these silencers are not just a big cause of noise pollution but also reduces the efficiency of the bike and is a big safety hazard, he said.
There are a number of motorcycles in the district having modified silencers that produce high sound level, a number of motorcycles also generate firecracker-like sounds that have resulted in panic and accidents, said S Kewat a retired BSL employee and a resident of Sector 3 in B S City. "Such fire-cracker like sound from these vehicles shock commuters.
Stringent action should be taken against such rogue bikers," added Kewat. Any mobike owner who has been using such illegal silencer should switch back to stock exhaust in order to avoid legal action, appealed DSP.
