Letter of the Day | Put a stop to loud mufflers

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing this letter to bring attention to the noise pollution caused by the vehicles which have their mufflers removed, which is causing pain and havoc to the people.

To the best of my knowledge, the law states no person should be allowed to modify the exhaust system in such a manner that the noise is disturbing. More specifically, no person driving a motor vehicle shall at any time remove the muffler or otherwise cause such motor vehicle to make unnecessary noise.

But notwithstanding the numerous letters written to the newspapers and the regular complaints made regarding instances like these, it seems that the police are ignoring this problem.

Ask residents living alongside main roads that dissect towns and districts along the north coast highway through Port Maria, Oracabessa, Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay who must put up with the bestial sounds.

Or along Spur Tree Hill, Long Lane in St James, Stony Hill in St Andrew, or wherever there are steep inclines requiring engine compression. And the perpetrators are getting away.

But they can easily be prosecuted.

By international standards, we have one of the nosiest environments in the world. One newspaper letter writer bemoaned the fact that “we live in a society of noise all around us from all sources: pounding sounds from buses, taxis, bikes and cars, beaches, parties with blaring music and screaming DJs, night after night, day after day.”

Even beaches where families look forward to a relaxing weekend afternoons are now off limits. The Puerto Seco holiday beach parties have driven some residents from their homes to spend the weekend elsewhere.

We are asking the new commissioner of police to enforce the act that gives consideration to those people who want to sleep, people who have the aged and infirm to care for, people who suffer broken windows or doors from the heavy bass sounds, and people who suffer from headaches and hearing ailments as a result of the noise.

If no compliance to the present law, seize the vehicles, as I understand is being done in St Mary, and let the penalties apply. And please, put back the mufflers on the trucks.

CONCERNED CITIZEN

Runaway Bay