Kerala Transport Minister Ganesh Kumar orders crackdown on air horns

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 14
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, calling them a menace that endangers public safety and adds to noise pollution.

The Minister has directed the Motor Vehicles Department (Kerala) to launch a special enforcement drive from October 13 to 19 to seize and destroy air horns, which are widely used despite being banned.

The Minister has ordered that all air horns confiscated during the drive must be publicly displayed before the media and then crushed using a road roller. Officials have been instructed to conduct checks in all districts and submit a detailed record of the number of air horns seized.

The Minister observed that the use of air horns, particularly in private and stage carriage buses, has become rampant, causing noise pollution and posing safety risks to road users.

“This practice has to end. We are taking decisive action to ensure compliance,” Ganesh Kumar said. The move follows an incident in Kothamangalam last week that triggered a public outcry.

During the Minister’s speech, a bus driver allegedly blared an air horn and drove into the bus stand at high speed, causing a commotion. Ganesh Kumar ordered immediate action against the driver, leading to the suspension of his driving licence and the cancellation of the vehicle’s permit. The Minister’s latest directive signals a zero-tolerance approach to such violations.

Officials say the special drive will involve surprise inspections at major transport hubs, highways, and bus depots. The Motor Vehicles Department will coordinate with the police to ensure effective enforcement. Once seized, the horns will be destroyed on the spot to send a strong message to violators.

Officials have also warned that repeated violations could lead to the permanent cancellation of vehicle permits and licences.

Ganesh Kumar is known for playing to the gallery, as he was recently spotted overtaking a state-owned transport bus after he spotted plastic bottles left in the front space of the bus next to the driver.

He, after stopping the bus, scolded the driver and the conductor for doing that, despite orders being issued that there should be no plastic bottles seen in state-owned buses.

In yet another incident recently, he cancelled a programme after finding that there was not enough audience seated before him.

The 60-year-old Minister has been representing the Pathanapuram assembly constituency for the past 25 years, and his party has been an ally of both the traditional political fronts in Kerala.