Mahim residents out to counsel drivers

Mumbai: Tired of being subjected to constant noise pollution on the busy L J Road, four residents’ groups from Mahim got together and carried out a no-honking campaign, along with traffic police, on Friday evening. Residents, including senior citizens and children, held placards at red lights and requested motorists to avoid honking.
“We have been reading the TOI campaign against noise pollution and wanted to do something about the menace.We decided to start with our neighbourhood,” said Irfan Machiwala from the Mahim Residents Group. A traffic inspector and constable from Mahim traffic branch accompanied the group to create awareness on the streets.
“We received a mixed response. A motorist told us that he drives from Mumbai to Ahmedabad regularly but never honks. We encouraged him to spread the word among others. Another commuter, seated next to his driver, told us we were doing a great job and that he always tells his driver to refrain from honking at signals. But motorcyclists argued with us. They said it’s impossible to stop honking completely,” said Machiwala.
An elderly resident of Mahim, Abdul Qayyum Patel, suggested to the motorcyclists that they could honk only if absolutely necessary. “If you are caught in a snarl, honking won’t help you fly overthe others ahead of you. You would remain where you are. Instead, you would only end up irritating everyone else,” Patel told each motorist who halted at the signal.
Representatives from the Mahim Residents Group, Dargah Street ALM, Mahim Zameen ALM and St Michael Church were part of the campaign. The residents intend to rope in more people to conduct a similar campaign on a larger scale in future.