Minibus drivers face music from cops

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 21

To stop playing of music in the public transport, traffic policemen have damaged speakers worth thousands of rupees even as the Matador Union termed it an ‘unlawful act’.

The traffic police on Saturday started a drive against playing of loud music in minibuses in Jammu city. Policemen put up check-posts in different parts of the city and damaged the speakers and music systems of the minbuses. According to the drivers, the traffic policemen forcibly entered the buses and took off the stereos and speakers. The Minibus Union of Jammu has warned the traffic department against the ‘unlawful act’ and threatened stir if such incident was repeated.

“This is the height of unlawfulness on the part of the traffic department. If anyone is violating law, impose fine on them or seize the vehicle or documents, but how can you damage the property?” asked Vijay Chib, president, Minibus Union, Jammu.

“Such acts cannot be tolerated. We are warning the department, if such acts are repeated in future, we will go on an indefinite strike,” he added.

Chib said FM radio was allowed in all the public transport in the country, but policemen here were not allowing them to play even soft music in the minibuses. On the other hand, he said young passengers avoided sitting in the minibuses not playing music.

Meanwhile, the traffic police accepted that the speakers were destroyed and no fine was imposed on the violators, but they said cops asked the drivers to destroy the speakers and music system themselves.

“Playing of music in a commercial vehicle is illegal. So whenever we find such vehicle, we ask the driver himself to destroy it. We do not destroy it ourselves,” said Prabhi Dyal, Additional Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Jammu.

He remained silent when asked whether the destruction of speakers was allowed under the law.