Bayani to silence buses

Loud air horns on public utility buses (PUBs) will soon be prohibited in Metro Manila for being a nuisance to the public.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando said an ordinance will be submitted to the Metro Manila Council to support the proposal during its next scheduled meeting.

Fernando noted that the MMDA has been receiving many complaints particularly from the residential areas along EDSA about the noise of the horns used by the buses at the intersections.

Several of the complaints came from the exclusive subdivisions in Makati City near EDSA.

Fernando said the buses tend to continuously blow their horns to call for passengers without any regard for the surrounding areas.

In order to immediately address the problem, Fernando proposed that the loud horns be destroyed on the spot.

He pointed out that relying on the vehicle owners to remove the horns would take a long time so immediate destruction would be the better option.

The MMDA chief said even private vehicles would be covered by the possible ban.

The only ones that would be exempted from the ordinance are the trucks that operate outside of Metro Manila. Fernando said loud horns are designed for trucks to use along the highways.

"For city driving, the horns are nothing but a nuisance to other motorists as well as the communities," Fernando said.

MMDA Executive Director for Traffic Angelita Vergel de Dios also suggested that all of other non-essential accessories that affect the motorists should also be removed and banned.

He cited fog lamps, spot lights, white tail lights and muffler extensions used to amplify the sound of the exhaust as examples of accessories that should be prohibited.

De Dios noted that technically, any accessory that does not conform to the specifications of a vehicle should be banned. He also stressed that the dealers should be prevented from selling and installing these accessories.