PUNE: Sound pollution due to honking of vehicles is increasingly becoming a concern for Puneites. To curb the menace, Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) has taken action against 334 vehicles from April 2019 to January 2020. They have also collected a penalty of Rs 2.89 lakh from them.

“The motorists are involved in unnecessary honking on the roads. The action against them was taken under the Motor Vehicle Act. Honking creates panic among other road users,” said Vinod Sagre, Deputy RTO of Pune. The action was taken in the region, which includes Pune, Solapur, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Baramati and Akluj. The highest number of violations were reported in Solapur with 117, followed by Pune (90), Pimpri-Chinchwad (80), Akluj (27) and Baramati (20).

However, action was taken not only against honking but also silencers by 2-wheelers. The noise pollution takes place only if the silencers are modified by the riders. Otherwise, the company fitted bikes are compulsorily checked by the Automotive Research Association of India.