Noida: To curb noise pollution and improve road safety, the transport departments of Noida and Ghaziabad have launched a month-long drive against vehicles fitted with illegally modified silencers and pressure horns. Enforcement teams are also conducting surprise inspections of shops and garages selling modified silencers to curb their illegal supply.Noida assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) Udit Narayan Pandey said that 46 motorcycles with modified silencers have been seized in the city. “We are also identifying garages that install these silencers and taking action against them. Several garages are engaged in such unauthorised modifications, and we are visiting these establishments and initiating proceedings to shut down illegal operations,” Pandey said.Motorcycles, officials said, account for the majority of violations. Enforcement teams are also taking action against buses and other commercial vehicles, which Pandey said are the biggest inconveniences to commuters and residents.“Vehicles fitted with modified exhaust systems produce excessive noise, often exceeding permissible limits, while pressure horns are prohibited because of the disturbance they cause in residential areas, near schools and around hospitals,” an official said.In neighbouring Ghaziabad, 44 vehicle owners have been issued fines or had their vehicles seized under the Motor Vehicles Act.“Of these, 26 were found using unauthorised modified silencers, while 18 were penalised for using prohibited pressure horns. Enforcement teams also carried out surprise inspections at shops and garages involved in the sale and installation of modified silencers to curb their illegal supply,” said Pramod Kumar Singh, regional transport officer (RTO), Ghaziabad.
In Ghaziabad, 44 vehicle owners have been issued fines or had their vehicles seized under the Motor Vehicles Act
Officials said that unauthorised modifications not only violate environmental regulations but also compromise road safety. Excessive vehicle noise has become a growing concern in urban areas, affecting students, senior citizens, patients in hospitals and residents living along busy roads.Vehicle owners should use only manufacturer-approved silencers and avoid installing pressure horns or any unauthorised equipment, they said.The department has also asked all the vehicle owners to retain only manufacturer-approved silencers and avoid installing pressure horns or any unauthorised equipment. Public cooperation is essential to reducing noise pollution and creating a safer, more peaceful and environmentally responsible traffic system across the two districts, officials added.
