Ryan Silveira
What am I talking about? I’m talking about the numerous motorcyclists with modified silencers that create deafening noise to everyone in the near and far vicinity to them. This trend has started to become a real nuisance to everyone around them.
While I admire cruisers, such as the iconic Harley Davidsons and the Royal Enfields, the problem arises when educated riders modify their exhausts, mufflers and silencers to exceed noise decibels with such modified exhausts like the megaphones, which are actually banned in India.
Sure, I understand the need for the Goan youth, as well as some domestic tourists, to draw attention to themselves by using this noisy and unhealthy route. But everyone would surely agree with me when I say that Goa was certainly a lot more peaceful and tranquil without the drone of such loud motorcycles. Do I need say that it was better off too?
I don’t understand the mentality of such individuals who go around quiet and serene residential neighbourhoods. Sometimes even hours later than midnight, to blatantly disturb the peace of those at home, some who are asleep to be rudely awakened, some disturbed while at prayer in churches, etc.
A motorcycle is a vehicle for transportation, it is not meant to be an agent for noise pollution.
While Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act clearly states that the owner of a vehicle cannot modify the said vehicle from the government regulated specifications of the manufacturer, do the traffic authorities bother to do anything about it? Do you see them giving challans to such noisy offenders aside from the ones who are caught without helmets? There are viral videos on WhatsApp and Facebook where the traffic police in Bangalore literally dismantle and destroy the silencers of such noise offenders.
This problem can only be tackled at the source, which means tracking down the retailers who sell and undertake the modifications of these noisy exhausts. Is this what we Goans want? To lose all essence of the liveable, peaceful Goa that we used to take for granted? Or do we want to turn it into a chaotic noise fest like Bombay or Delhi?
