A fixed fine of ₹7,000, for causing noise pollution and illegal tampering, will be imposed on riders of motorcycles and other two-wheelers, who find themselves without mufflers, sources from the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) said. ).

It is seen as a follow-up action to Operation Silence, which the MVD launched in February this year.

Law enforcement officials had previously had the discretion to impose lesser amounts as fines for such violations. The intensified crackdown on rule breakers came after widespread complaints about the threat these mostly young motorists pose to the safety and health of other road users. Most police brigades have decibel meters to measure the noise emitted by vehicles and their horns.

Official sources said rule violations such as removing the muffler or illegal tampering could be detected even without a decibel meter. In most cases, owners remove the catalytic converter portion of the muffler and a hollow tube of the same dimension is welded together to look like a proper muffler. This violation can be detected by sticking a stick into the silencer. The noise specified for each vehicle, including that of the horn, is mentioned in Form 22. It must not exceed this limit, they added.

A senior city traffic police official said it’s often difficult to catch these rule breakers because many of them don’t stop for inspections. “They would have in most cases damaged license plates to evade surveillance cameras, or even removed them. They can be detected if members of the public send in photos of these vehicles and drivers. »

rickety vehicles

There are also examples of rickety two-wheelers being turned into cargo transporters, primarily for transporting plastic and other waste. A few are often seen on the NH Bypass, driven by workers from other states.

“Many of them need to be scrapped and should be deregistered now. They wouldn’t even be worth ₹2,000. We recently seized one of these vehicles. These vehicles pose a hazard to drivers and other road users , as they may experience brake failure,” said Bejoy Peter, a Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) attached to the control team in Ernakulam.

The same goes for diesel rickshaws, which must be scrapped after 15 years. Passengers will not have insurance coverage if these vehicles are involved in accidents.

“The fitting of extra wide tyres, which protrude from the body of the cars, is also an offence, as they change the steering angle/geometry, even affecting the center of gravity of the vehicle. The subsequent fitting of fake alloy wheels can also be dangerous. In short, the automaker’s specifications are the best for the safe and smooth operation of any vehicle,” Peter said.