This was taken up in a big way when companies began producing noiseless cars in the US. We should get the government to legally stipulate minimum noise levels for all vehicles manufactured here, as this noiselessness is eventually likely to spread to cars as well.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Vikas Kapoor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Access India" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 9:34 AM Subject: [AI] e-bikes pose threat to visually challenged > e-bikes pose threat to visually challenged > > Staff Reporter > > Rise in the number of these bikes has made the roads unsafe for them, they > say > > Photo: Lingaraj Panda > > A person having a look at a battery-run scooter in a showroom in Berhampur > on Thursday. --- > > BERHAMPUR: Blind persons want the silent e-bikes to be noisier to save > them from accidents. > > The rise in number of battery powered e-bikes has been directly > proportional to the increase in price of petrol. These bikes have their > advantage. They > cause least air and sound pollution and are economical for city rides. But > the blind persons of the city are worried over the rise of these e-bikes > on > the roads. According to them their increased number has made roads unsafe > for the blind. > > The secretary of the Orissa Service Center for the Blind (OSCB), Bhabani > Shankar Padhi who himself is visually impaired said sound is the greatest > indicator > for the blind persons walking on any road. "We can sense a vehicle coming > from our backside or front many metres before it reaches us by sensing the > sound > of its combustion engine. But the battery motors of battery powered > vehicles do not produce any sound and it is hard for the blind persons to > sense them > on a busy road," he said. According to him a visually impaired person was > hit by an e-bike only because he could not sense the bike coming from its > back. > Now these silent vehicles on the road can only be sensed by blind persons > if they use their horns regularly. No rider of e-bike would continuously > honk > its horns as it would also mean extra load on the battery. > > The OSCB has decided to approach the manufacturers of e-bikes in the > country with a request that the vehicles should be made slightly noisy for > the benefit > of the blinds of the country. "Noise is not a pollutant in every case and > in case of e-bikes noise would be saviour of blind persons," Mr Padhi > said. He > suggests that they produce mechanical sound at least in a low scale for > blind persons on Indian roads. > > http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/19/stories/2008091959310200.htm > > Vikas Kapoor, > MSN Id:[EMAIL PROTECTED], Yahoo&Skype Id: dl_vikas, > Mobile: (+91) 9891098137. > Join Access India convention: For updates on it visit: > http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm > September 21 &22!! > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Join Access India convention: For updates on it visit: http://accessindia.org.in/harish/convention.htm September 21 &22!! To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
