Plug in your earphones please: Karnataka high court bans loud music on public buses

The high court said that if any passenger travelling on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus refuses to comply with the order, the driver or the bus conductor “can deboard” him or her.

The Karnataka High Court has decided to impose a ban on playing loud music or videos on mobile phones while travelling in state buses. The court order was issued while hearing a writ petition seeking restrictions on “noise disturbance inside buses”.

Buses parked at the KSRTC bus station.

The high court said that if any passenger travelling on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus refuses to comply with the order, the driver or the bus conductor “can deboard” him or her. The bus may also be halted until they are offloaded, the order read.

The rule will be implemented immediately, said KSRTC’s public relations officer Latha TS. “Playing loud music in buses by passengers disturbs other passengers as well as the driver and conductor. Hence, as per the order from the transport department, we are implementing the rule immediately and all drivers and conductors have been made aware of the new rule,” the officer was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

The person asked to deboard can also not claim a refund on the bus fare. The existing Rule 94 of the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules (1989) also bars passengers travelling on such vehicles (“stage carriage”) should refrain from “singing or playing any musical instrument or operating a transistor radio”.

The Karnataka high court further stated that officials on the bus should first request passengers to not play songs or videos on loud music. The KSRTC said it would create awareness about noise pollution and make announcements about the new rule at bus stations and terminals, as well as their social media handles.