•motorists urged to comply, as Assembly back government
Lagos state government will today mark horn free day for all motorists in the metropolis.
All motorists are expected to drive without horning and the day will be commemorated every other year.
Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola explained that the horn free day is a step towards sensitising residents to the harmful effects of noise pollution.
Fashola said it was important for citizens to understand that there is a better way to live than indulging in noise pollution which has been found to be harmful to their health.
He said in pursuance of the efforts to reduce environmental pollution in the State his administration has thought up the initiative meant to sensitise residents to the dangers caused by noise pollution to their health and that of their neighbours and family members.
Fashola said there was need to come down significantly because according to the global standard for measuring noise, saying “90 decibels is rather too high and harmful to human health”.
“It is for our own good, it is for our own health, it is for our own life. It is not because Governor Fashola said so. It is not because Lagos State Government said so. It is simply because it is good for us. Doctors have told us it is for our own ultimate good.
“What we see in a way that we now choose to live is that because we live in a very noisy environment, which we can really diminish, we tend to be very noisy ourselves. We speak at the top of our voices, we play music at very high decibels and we do very many things at very high levels”, he said.
The Governor pointed out that the campaign against noise pollution was a response to the petitions and complaints of citizens and tax payers, adding that on daily basis petition government that somebody is preventing them from sleep either from the noise they are making or from other uncharitable activities they are carrying on without regard for the wellbeing of their neighbours.
Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa , said the observance of the horn free day is expected to reduce noise pollution from the use of the horn, improve road courtesy, improve lane discipline and draw motorists’ attention to the importance of road discipline and mutual respect for other road users.
Opeifa said it was designed to complement the on-going efforts by the State Government in the provision and upgrading of traffic infrastructure across the State.
The State House of Assembly at plenary yesterday threw its weight behind the horn free day, noting that it is geared towards addressing the problem of noise pollution and ultimately ensuring a healthy society.
Raising the issue under Matter of Urgent Public Importance, the chairman House Committee on Transportation, Commerce and Industry, Bisi Yusuff said “tomorrow (today) has been declared as horn free day to check the abuse of using horns indiscriminately by motorists.”
He said: “most of time the way our people use horns constitute nuisance. It has caused accidents because it leads to intimidation; it is scary when big horns are used to intimidate people. Inculcating the habit will instill discipline among motorists’ and lead to good driving culture.”
Lanre Ogunyemi (Ojo II), said, “The state government is blazing the trail on the possibility of having horn free environment. The rate at which drivers use their horns is not only alarming but appalling.”
He said the experience he had while he was outside the country as regard the use of horn was a far cry from what is obtainable in the country, saying the initiative by the state government is laudable.
The Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo who presided at plenary said “let us see its possibility come tomorrow (today).”
