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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 14 (IANS) Kerala Transport Minister and film star-turned-politician KB Ganesh Kumar has ordered a strict statewide crackdown on the use of illegal air horns in buses and other vehicles, terming it a threat to public safety and increasing noise pollution.
The Minister has directed the Department of Motor Vehicles (Kerala) to launch a special enforcement drive from October 13 to 19 to seize and destroy air horns, which are widely used despite being banned.
The minister has ordered that all the air horns seized during the operation should be publicly displayed before the media and then crushed using a road roller. Officials have been directed to conduct checks in all districts and submit detailed records of the number of air horns seized.
The Minister observed that the use of air horns has become widespread, especially in private and stage carriage buses, causing noise pollution and posing a safety risk to road users.
“This practice has to end. We are taking decisive action to ensure compliance,” Ganesh Kumar said. The move follows an incident in Kothamangalam last week that had sparked public outrage.
During the minister’s speech, a bus driver allegedly honked an air horn and drove into the bus stand at high speed, creating a ruckus. Ganesh Kumar ordered immediate action against the driver, whereby his driving license was suspended and the vehicle permit cancelled. The minister’s latest directive signals a zero-tolerance approach towards such violations.
Officials say the special operation will include surprise inspections of major transport hubs, highways and bus depots. The motor vehicles department will coordinate with the police to ensure effective enforcement. Once seized, the horns will be destroyed on the spot to send a strong message to violators.
Officials have also warned that vehicle permits and licenses may be permanently canceled in case of repeated violations.
Ganesh Kumar is known to play to the gallery, as he was recently seen overtaking a state-owned transport bus when he noticed plastic bottles left next to the driver’s side at the front of the bus.
After stopping the bus, he reprimanded the driver and conductor for doing so despite orders not to allow plastic bottles to be seen in government buses.
In another recent incident, he canceled a program after seeing that there was not enough audience sitting in front of him.
The 60-year-old minister has been representing the Pathanapuram assembly constituency for the last 25 years, and his party has been an ally of both the traditional political fronts in Kerala.
–IANS
SG/SKP