Passengers who play music on speaker on KSRTC buses to be deboarded

KEY STORY

• A year after the BMTC issued a ban on the use of mobile phone loudspeakers for audio or video entertainment inside the Bengaluru buses, two more corporations operating buses across the state have told their drivers and conductors to deboard passengers creating such nuisance.

• In a circular issued to the media on Friday, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) said the use of mobile phones inside the buses has increased.

• The KSRTC said loud sounds through audio and video files played on mobile phones violate section 94(1)(v) of the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules 1989. It also noted that public interest litigation has been filed in the High Court of Karnataka in this regard.

• “The public travelling in buses have been found to be creating a nuisance by playing songs..or watching news or cinema. The noise pollution is causing inconvenience to fellow passengers.”

•  The corporations have tasked the drivers and conductors to spread awareness.

CONCLUSION

• “Awareness should be created and such passengers should be requested not to use the phones to create inconvenience. If a passenger doesn’t heed, he should be deboarded from the bus for violating the motor vehicle rules. The bus should be stopped till the passenger gets off. Such passengers should not get reimbursement of their fare,” the circular said.