Horns used by garbage compactors a nuisance: residents

The BBMP’s garbage-collecting vehicles may be diligently performing their duties, but their high decibel horns are a bugbear of residents.

Residents of Vidyaranyapura, Indiranagar and other East Bengaluru neighbourhoods have complained that the blast of high decibel horns by the garbage vehicles creates a ruckus, especially in the morning hours.

“We know the vehicles follow a particular timing (every day) and we keep our bins ready by the time they arrive. But they make this unbearable noise. At least the (horns) must be low decibel,” said Narayanamurthy, a senior citizen residing in Vidyaranyapura.

Garbage contractors said the residents do not come out quickly with their bins unless they blast the horns. “Our vehicles in Hagadur have horns with reasonable (decibel) levels. We don’t make noise, but in (some) areas, they blast the horns to alert the residents. We can’t help it,” said a BBMP contractor from Hagadur.

BBMP special commissioner Randeep Singh said the compactors, which are secondary waste collectors, are not supposed to use horns, something only auto tippers can.

“In areas like Indiranagar, auto tippers (primary waste collectors) use whistles or, sometimes, cycle bells. In some areas, they play music, but low decibel. If we come across garbage compactors using horns, we’ll take action,” Singh said.