If you are troubled by the growl of modified silencers on the road, you are not alone. Residents across the city are complaining about speeding two wheelers with tampered silencers. Modified silencers are mostly being used by youngsters for fun, said residents. More and more bikes in the city have silencers altered so that they sound like they have more horsepower than they actually do. Sanjay, a commuter, said not only do these create noise pollution, but most bikers who have done this are seen speeding on the road. It is definitely a nuisance, while we are moving towards noise-free technology in the case of most machines, some of these bikers seem to be devolving. It is irritating and disturbing for other riders as well as pedestrians. The police need to crack down on the bike owners who modify the silencers. They also have to regulate the sale of such exhaust pipe parts that enhance the vehicle’s sound. Moto vloggers in the city are making videos on where such accessories can be obtained. This shows how law enforcers have neglected this particular issue, said Sanjay. According to data from the traffic police, the number of cases for defective silencers in 2022 was 1,423. The city registered 36 cases of defective silencers as of February 2023. Raghavendra HS, president, Karnataka State Motorists’ Association (KSMA) said traffic police should have people near educational institutes to book maximum cases of silencer tampering.
