Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Transport Minister and film star-turned-politician K. B. Ganesh Kumar has ordered a strict statewide crackdown on the use of illegal air horns in buses and other vehicles, terming them a menace that endangers public safety and contributes to noise pollution.
The Minister directed the Motor Vehicles Department (Kerala) to launch a special enforcement drive from October 13 to 19 to seize and destroy air horns, which continue to be widely used despite being banned. Ganesh Kumar mandated that all confiscated horns be publicly displayed for the media before being crushed with a road roller. Officials are required to conduct checks across all districts and submit detailed records of the seizures.
The Minister noted that air horn usage, particularly in private and stage carriage buses, has become rampant, causing severe noise pollution and safety hazards. “This practice has to end. We are taking decisive action to ensure compliance,” he said.
The move follows an incident in Kothamangalam last week that sparked public outrage. During a Ministerial speech, a bus driver allegedly blared an air horn and drove into the bus stand at high speed, creating a commotion. Following Ganesh Kumar’s orders, the driver’s licence was suspended, and the vehicle’s permit was cancelled, underscoring the Minister’s zero-tolerance approach to such violations.
The special drive will feature surprise inspections at major transport hubs, highways, and bus depots, with the Motor Vehicles Department coordinating with police for effective enforcement. Officials have warned that repeated violations could result in permanent cancellation of vehicle permits and licences.
Ganesh Kumar, known for his proactive and often high-profile interventions, was recently seen overtaking a state-owned transport bus after noticing plastic bottles left near the driver’s seat, halting the bus to reprimand the driver and conductor. In another instance, he cancelled a programme due to insufficient audience turnout.
The 60-year-old Minister has represented the Pathanapuram assembly constituency for 25 years and has been an ally of both of Kerala’s traditional political fronts.
With IANS inputs