Tourist Buses should remove LED lights and high-power audio system
The Kerala High Court has held that tourist bus operators should remove all unauthorised flexible LED lights, multicolour LED lights, halogen driving lamps, and high-power audio systems installed in their buses and all writings on the body of the vehicles if the vehicles are allowed to be used as contract carriers.
Justice Anil K. Narendran passed the verdict while dismissing a batch of writ petitions filed by the All Kerala Contract Carriage Operators’ Association and other contract carriage owners challenging a notice issued by Motor Vehicles Department officials asking them to remove these unauthorised installations from their vehicles.
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Reasonable lighting
The court observed that Rule 286 of the Kerala Motor Vehicles Rules provided that every vehicle shall be furnished with one or more electric lights adequate to give reasonable illumination throughout the passenger compartment and which do not impair the forward vision of the driver.
Audio system
The court noted that the installation of high-power audio system with multiple booster/power amplifiers, speakers and sub-woofers could not be permitted.
The action is part of the vehicle check on the dance floors in buses which increase the rate of road accidents and sound pollution. Hundreds of videos on YouTube has loud music and laser shows.
The authorities have found several crimes including over speed, careless driving and unnecessary honking. The videos also have people dancing in the driver’s cabin in a running bus. Drivers are also seen enjoying this.
Source – The Hindu, Mathrubhumi.
