There is a big question I have on my mind, which hasn’t been answered till now – WHY ON EARTH DO PEOPLE HONK AT THE SIGNAL EVEN WHEN IT IS RED??!! Why do people think honking will turn the light green faster or cars in front will suddenly start flying to give them space to move?

It is no secret that traffic in cities like Mumbai and Bangalore is unimaginably clogged most of the time and it is also very clear from behaviour seen on roads that everyone apparently has some race to win.

Well, no more, Indians. A wonderful initiative has been taken by Mumbai Police for which I will be personally indebted even though I don’t live in Mumbai.

Honk More, Wait More!

A very wise concept called “Punishing Signal” has been introduced by Mumbai Police where if you keep honking at a signal and the sound monitors measure the noise to a certain threshold, the timer resets and people have to wait more.

Joint Police Commissioner of Traffic Police, Madhukar Pandey, revealed that there are decibel monitors connected to signals at a few spots in the city. If the noise crosses 85 dB, the 90 second signal timer resets. 85 dB is considered to be a dangerous level of noise pollution which can harm hearing if commuters are regularly subjected to it.


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Major points in the city like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Bus Terminus, Marine Drive, Pedder Road, Bandra, etc have already activated the Punishing Signal and have seen very drastic decrease in honking at these junctions.

The Entire Country Needs This

I live in Hyderabad, where traffic isn’t that bad, at most places, but even here when I’m stuck at a signal, I hear loud honks for no reason. When I lived in Delhi, the story was the same.

These Punishing Signals should be nationally accepted. Heavy fines, like the ones recently imposed in some cities, are inefficient in most ways because people will still continue to violate traffic rules and some states straight up denied implementing the fines. There is a need for creative solutions like the Punishing Signals which most people can’t avoid.

Mumbai Police released a video on twitter which was aimed to educate people about the newly implemented punishment, which said, “Horn not okay, please!”

No one’s winning anymore Grand Prix races on the city roads, no more honking to make cars fly. Congratulations Mumbai Police, you’ve initiated something that is a step towards a better mannered country. I hope every other state police will recognize this and follow course.


Sources: NDTV, News18, India Today

Image Source: Google Images

Connect With The Blogger: @som_beingme


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