Youths turn ‘Bullet’ into menace by producing high-decibel sound

PK Jaiswar

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 13

Much like Punjabi song “Bullet Ta Rakhiya E Patake Paun Nu”, the youth of the holy city indulge in producing ‘pataka’ sound from their Royal Enfield Bullet bikes with impunity while traffic cops look the other way. Offenders give scant regard to the Motor Vehicles norms. Producing a bursting sound from the bullet not only creates panic among commuters and causes unbearable noise pollution, but it also harms the engine of the bike.

For producing a high-decibel sound, the youth alter the silencer, which is an offence under the Motor Vehicles Act. According to experts, originally the bikes have a stock silence with three filters in it, which produces a low sound. However, buyers alter the silencer, especially to produce a loud sound.

As per the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and the Motor Vehicles Act, silencer blast is an offence. According to the police, the youth create the silencer blast by switching the engine off and then on when the motorcycle is at a high speed. This way a firecracker-like sound or that of a firing bullet is generated by the engine.

A sudden blast produced this way creates panic among the commuters. It can lead to a road mishap. The youth should be discouraged from indulging in such an activity. The police should take prompt action against such offenders. In the past, the police had launched specific drives to nail bullet riders indulging in such an activity. A number of vehicles were impounded at that time. However, the menace has seen a rise among the young in the recent past. Policemen also found themselves helpless in the absence of any technical input.

Another official pointed out that the bullet motorcycle manufacturers should also make some alternative arrangements, so that no one could produce such high-decibel sound leading to noise pollution. He said the company should avoid making such silencers that produce such noise.

Police Commissioner G Nageshwar Rao said that there were a number of works they had listed to be done in order to improve the traffic scenario in the holy city and nailing such offenders was one of them. He said he had directed the traffic officials to deal the offenders with an iron hand.