[man_and_machine]

A step in the right direction by BTP (Bangalore Traffic Police).
Horns and other sound producing devices are being moderated with this notice (see attachment). If implemented well, will improve our drive and general environment in a already stressed city. More info can be found on the BTP website.

http://www.bangaloretrafficpolice.gov.in/

[KarthikK]

A welcome move no doubt to cut out the nuisances of fancy horns and reverse music. Are they having some kind of drive to check vehicles with loud horns and challan the violators?? If they are, it directly clashes with BTP's current rule of cops not being permitted to stop vehicles (under the pretext of checking something) unless the driver/rider has committed a visible traffic offense.

By the way, how will the cops know if some car has illegal horns / reverse music devices fitted, unless the driver uses them in front of the cop and gets caught red-handed?? Also there should be a decibel level limit prescribed for horns, with this rule. If not, there is no tangible means to make out whether a horn is legal or not, and just gives the cops one more excuse to harass hapless commuters. Recently, one lady in Bangalore was harassed (for supposedly using an illegal, loud horn) by the cops, in spite of that turning out to be the factory-fitted OEM horn in her VW Polo. I think there was a thread on that somewhere in team-bhp too.

[sagarpadaki]

People who are hell bent on using musical horns will just install another normal one and will probably use a switch to activate them whenever there are cops !

Frankly speaking, this one will be very difficult to implement. Besides even if there is a medium traffic it is difficult to find out which sound came from which vehicle

[abirnale]

Indeed a welcome move. Their "No Horn Monday" seems to be fading out and hence this step??? I only hope that they keep this in mind that the horns that come factory fitted and are slightly off-beat than regular ones aren't forced to be removed! just like the Polo Case KarthikK mentioned.

OT - in my apartment complex, we had many hatchbacks that had reverse parking horns. People on ground floor and adjacent to Parking areas were hugely inconvenienced with them. So the entire association has to be called out for discussion and finally decided that no cars shall have reverse horns on them!

[Chetan_Rao]

Harsh and (sometimes) impractical it may be, but the only way out is to ban horns completely in busy urban areas. The sort of proposed policing is practically impossible. Who decides acceptable tones, loudness levels etc., and how to ensure our ingenious population doesn't come up with workarounds?

When a hundred people are honking away in maddening traffic, it doesn't serve any purpose anyway as nobody can make out who's honking at whom. If someone won't move when he sees you in his RVM, fat chance he will when you honk at him.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

A welcome move no doubt to cut out the nuisances of fancy horns and reverse music. Are they having some kind of drive to check vehicles with loud horns and challan the violators?? If they are, it directly clashes with BTP's current rule of cops not being permitted to stop vehicles (under the pretext of checking something) unless the driver/rider has committed a visible traffic offense.

By the way, how will the cops know if some car has illegal horns / reverse music devices fitted, unless the driver uses them in front of the cop and gets caught red-handed?? Also there should be a decibel level limit prescribed for horns, with this rule. If not, there is no tangible means to make out whether a horn is legal or not, and just gives the cops one more excuse to harass hapless commuters. Recently, one lady in Bangalore was harassed (for supposedly using an illegal, loud horn) by the cops, in spite of that turning out to be the factory-fitted OEM horn in her VW Polo. I think there was a thread on that somewhere in team-bhp too.

The Polo has got one of the most loudest and annoying factory horn ever. Couple that with the peppy engine, I see many Polos being driven rashly.

[dass]

They need to start with the cabs and the private busses first and only way to do it is by physical verification. Else, its a matter of flicking a switch to ensure they are in compliance. I dont know if this is ever going to be succesful, but a good step never the less.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

When a hundred people are honking away in maddening traffic, it doesn't serve any purpose anyway as nobody can make out who's honking at whom. If someone won't move when he sees you in his RVM, fat chance he will when you honk at him.

In a maddening traffic, I don't see how honking away helps. The road can accommodate only so much vehicles at a time and no honking / yelling helps. I think it is better to have patience and follow the vehicle in front.

But yes. leaving a huge gap in a heavy traffic is really something to think about. I have seen some people (learners with L board, out state vehicles, elderly people) drive much slower than the traffic speed leaving a huge gap in front of them and also effectively blocking other cars behind from passing too. I have seen people speaking on Mobile and driving slow and holding the traffic behind. The general gap in heavy traffic would be say 1 car length and anything longer gap is precious resource ( road) left under utilised. But personally I feel harsh honking is definitely not the way.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

People who are hell bend on using musical horns will just install another normal one and will probably use a switch to activate them whenever there are cops !

Frankly speaking, this one will be very difficult to implement. Besides even if there is a medium traffic it is difficult to find out which sound came from which vehicle

I read in the BTP Sound devices notice to Report vehicle numbers with Multi tone horns and reverse horns on their website should help implement the rule. Any law abiding citizen could just notice such vehicle in their building / office / on the road and note the number and report on the BTP web site. rest is for them to follow up and do the needful. So it seems a collective social response is necessary to help in implementing this rule. Should be possible I think

[shankar.balan]

In South East Asia, specifically Bangkok and Jakarta, the traffic is truly maddening. It has to be be seen to be believed. Jammed chock a block everywhere. Bangkok has improved these last ten years, but Jakarta is still absolutely horrid. However, the two big differences between those cities and the Indian scenario is that everyone follows lane discipline and no one honks un necessarily there at all. They understand that lane discipline makes for an overall faster journey with less stress and that honking is futile, irritating and is not going to serve any useful purpose whatsoever in gridlocked traffic. Maybe we should have a 'motorist exchange' program to impress upon our Indian motorists that despite overwhelmingly wicked traffic, people can still behave in a civilized manner. This would serve a more useful purpose than say, the Karnataka MLA's embarking on a study tour of the Amazon Rainforests and Tourism in South America, ostensibly to study and 'replicate' the same here in Karnataka!

[audioholic]

How do they know what is OE horn and what is not? Both my cars have dual horns which are OE equipment. Now I think I should carry a spec sheet along with the printout of the notice issued which states that only aftermarket horns are prohibited.

Same applies to the VW and Skodas which have the trumpet kind of horn.

[kreddy]

I think all OEM horns fitted on Bajaj 2 wheelers are extremely loud. Also on this subject what about noise pollution created by 2 stroke autos ( again by Bajaj ).

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by kreddy

I think all OEM horns fitted on Bajaj 2 wheelers are extremely loud. Also on this subject what about noise pollution created by 2 stroke autos ( again by Bajaj ).

Bajaj has toned down the horns on the post 2008 production bikes. The earlier bikes had really loud dual steel horns and i just love them on my 2008 pulsar.They are good to alert people and must be used with restraint. They get good respect on the highways where puny horns are turned down with impunity.

[LOL_FWD]

As we are on the topic of measuring decibel levels by cops, they should be provided with some sort of decibel meters. Maybe an app on the fancy blackberries which they have got their hands on.
Hoping that if some permissible level is decided, we can muffle our FFE's to suit the norms. That way we stay happy and not break or bend the law and avoid those heavy fines.
More cash for car parts!
Cheers!

[rajeev k]

The Police in Kerala also released a similar directive against the use of musical and multi-tone horns. The Lo and Hi tone horns are alternated when operated with a device and I feel this is what is meant by the multi tone horns in the Police directive.

[Surya-TJet]

Hi Gentlemen, I'm in Chennai and have to say that even here the honking menace has surprisingly reduced to a great extent over the past year. I have one small doubt. I will be traveling to Bangalore by next month on my Thunderbird. And, considering that this rule should be enforced at that time, will I be stopped/fined, apart from the usual checks for driving in a TN plated vehicle? I ask this because the Thunderbird 500 has "really" loud dual horns. I normally don't honk, but should I have the necessity to honk when a cop is lurking around the corner, could I be possibly be puller over? Bangaloreans can throw light on this. Thanks in advance for the help.