Residents want govt to curb noise pollution

MARDAN: Residents on Friday urged the government, particularly the traffic control authorities, to take action against rickshaws and motorcycles, causing noise pollution in Mardan city.

The chaotic traffic and the large number of rickshaws have become a major concern for citizens.Many rickshaw drivers and motorbike riders have changed their silencers, increasing the noise levels unnecessarily, which is contributing to noise pollution in the city.

Muhammad Irfan, a resident, said that the noise from modified silencers was not only causing mental stress but also creating discomfort for the sick and elderly, while drivers were enjoying themselves on the roads with these loud sounds.

He argued that the number of rickshaws in the city had increased significantly, but there was neither a proper system for their registration nor any check on them.Saeed Khan said that teenagers were driving motorbikes and rickshaws in the city.

He added that rickshaws and motorbikes often operate recklessly on the roads, flouting traffic rules, which has led to an increase in accidents.He further said that due to the negligence of traffic authorities, citizens were frequently facing traffic jams.

Citizens demanded that the administration take action to limit the number of rickshaws, ensure their proper registration and replace the modified silencers to make the city roads safer and provide peace of mind to the public.They warned that if immediate steps were not taken, the problem could worsen, leading to an increase in accidents.