The popularity of portable gadgets like smartphones has triggered an increasingly pervasive social menace — people playing music on devices without using headphones in public transport, with no consideration for those around them.
Inundated with complaints from passengers, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has decided to clamp down on this behaviour, and has issued a circular barring passengers from playing music on the loudspeakers of their gadgets.
Bus crew have been briefed and asked to ensure that passengers follow the rules. Anyone failing to comply will be asked to deboard, said officials, who cite it as a violation under the motor vehicle rules.
The circular, issued on Thursday, noted that a writ petition is before the Karnataka High Court. “There are provisions in the Motor Vehicles Act under rules 94(1) (V) to cancel the tickets and deboard passengers found violating the rules,” said managing director of the BMTC, C. Shikha, told The Hindu , adding that there are no provisions to impose penalties for this behaviour.
Passengers have welcomed the circular issued by the corporation. “Playing music or entertainment programmes on a device’s loudspeaker is a nuisance. This happens often while travelling in city buses. I have never seen conductors asking people to stop disturbing fellow passengers. It is a good sign that the corporation has come out with a circular now,” said Namita S., a regular user of BMTC’s buses. While the current circular is limited to passengers, BMTC plans to issue another circular asking crew to refrain from blaring music and radio shows on portable music devices.
“We will be shortly barring use of FM radio and other music players inside the bus by the crew. Usually, on night services or early morning services, the bus crew play music. As the rules apply to all, the corporation will come with a circular barring this practice as well,” said a senior official.
Citizens have urged BMRCL too to adopt similar rules. “This happens even on the metro, with users oblivious to others around them. Everyone’s taste is different and we should not be subjected to this in a public place,” said Praveen Rao, who commutes from Byappanahalli to Cubbon Park every day on Namma Metro.
