Berhampur: Bikes fitted with modified silencers which make crackling sounds similar to gunshots and are being ridden by youths have become a nightmare for many in Silk City as these vehicles produce sound more than of 80 decibels, a report said.
Such vehicles not only make a deafening noise but also emit toxic chemicals into the air which pollutes the atmosphere. These bikes are also fitted with multi-toned horns which too make a deafening sound as the biker presses on the horn.
Some menacing youths are moving around the Silk City riding these bikes even after enactment of amended Motor Vehicle Act. Even fellow commuters on the road do not feel safe when the bikers riding such vehicles zoom past them making thundering sound which makes them go off-balance.
These errant bikers could be seen during the daytime and even at night and on highways zooming away for their destination with their bikes making a crackling sound like gunshots.
Sources said such speed driving has sparked concern among the denizens as the majority of the riders are minor boys below 18 years who zoom around the city without caring for the police action.
Most of them do not have a driving licence nor any experience in driving in the increasingly busy roads of the city. It is often seen that these bikers fail to keep control on their vehicles due to speed driving and end up in a road mishap. Things have come to such a pass that the bikers often race among themselves on the road endangering the pedestrians and other vehicles on the road.
This has happened due to laxity of the authorities like the district administration, police and regional transport office.
If someone is to be blamed then it is only the parents who unconsciously endanger the life of their wards by handing over a bike and its key to them. However, neither the parents nor the school, college authorities or the administration have failed to rein on these errant bikers.
It is claimed that the youngsters who want to show off their mean machines are opting for bike modification. The youths after purchasing the bike visit the bike modification shops in the city to modify their bikes into mean machines.
These shops are acting as a catalyst for increasing the number of bikes facilitating the influx of these bikes with ‘loud silencers’ on the road. Among these riders, most of the bikers are in high school while others are college-going students.
When contacted, regional transport officer Sanjay Biswal said the Supreme Court implemented the Amended Motor Vehicles Act a few months back. He assured of action stating if necessary then the violators will be penalised and their bike registration will be cancelled, and they may also attract a jail term of one year.
Advocate Sunil Swain said that the parents, school and college authorities should take steps in this regard for the safety of their wards. Environmentalists said that bikes, giving out high decibel sounds due to modified silencers, negatively affect the health of fellow commuters.
