If Mumbai is known for its heavy traffic, so is honking. People in Mumbai are not new to the sight or sound of drivers honking at signals hoping. They honk as if the pestering sound will help them get past the vehicle ahead of him quickly. And tired of the sound pollution, Mumbai Police have come up with a creative idea to stop the honking. Mumbai Police and FCB Interface has come together with an innovative solution called The Punishing Signal. They have created a video which shows the plan which was implemented at heavy traffic prone areas in Mumbai. It says, "Honk more, wait more." Mumbai Traffic Police Instructs RTO to Suspend Driving Licences of Motorist Using Fancy Number Plates.
To implement the plan, special decibel meters were connected to traffic lights in Mumbai. When the decibel exceeds 85dB, the signal timer would reset itself making people wait for a longer time. Hence the term 'punishing'. The waiting seconds will only drop-down when the sound of honking reduces. Smart, right? The initiative was tested at important junctions in Mumbai like traffic zones including CSMT, Marine Drive, Peddar Road, Hindmata and Bandra. Mumbai Police tweeted the video with the caption, "Horn not okay, please!
Find out how the @MumbaiPolice hit the mute button on #Mumbai’s reckless honkers. #HonkResponsibly" These Dancing Traffic Policemen From India Remind You No Job is Easy But Can Be Enjoyed, Watch Videos.
Watch The Punishing Signal Here:
Horn not okay, please!
Find out how the @MumbaiPolice hit the mute button on #Mumbai’s reckless honkers. #HonkResponsibly pic.twitter.com/BAGL4iXiPH
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 31, 2020
The initiative was praised by social media users, however, some pointed out the loopholes. Some netizens replied to Mumbai Police asking if it would be affected by the sirens of ambulances or fire tenders. Reportedly, according to data in an RTI report from six out of 34 traffic divisions in Mumbai, only 1,293 people had been booked for unnecessary honking in the past 10 years. Also, there is no agency that keeps a tab on honking.
Talking about the initiative, Rohit Ohri, group chairman and chief executive officer FCB Group wad quoted as saying, "We have been partnering Mumbai Police for many years now. Noise pollution is a big problem in our cities. This new initiative is a fantastic creative solution for bringing about awareness and a behaviour change amongst the drivers in Mumbai."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2020 03:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).