Mangaluru: Motorists beware. If you are caught using shrill horns for your vehicles and tampering with exhaust pipes for motorcycles, then the police will not leave you just by imposing a fine.

They will impound the vehicle and make the driver/rider appear before Magistrate to pay fine for the violation.

The action comes in light of people continuing to express their concerns in the phone-in programme of the Police Commissioner about sound pollution by vehicles. The police had carried out a week-long drive against the use of shrill horns by city buses.

During the phone-in programme on Friday, a caller from Bunder expressed concern over use of shrill horns by autorickshaws.

A college student from Valencia complained about the sound pollution caused by motorcycles with modified exhaust pipes. Residents have problem from these motorcycles that usually ply in a group after 8 p.m. in Valencia, he said.

While assuring callers of effective action, Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar instructed his officers to start impounding such vehicles.

Mr. Sekhar told reporters that use of shrill horns and mufflers were nothing but tampering with the vehicle, which was a violation of Motor Vehicle Act. The police are empowered to impound such vehicles and produce such offenders before the magistrate.

Vehicles will be released after motorists pay fine in court. Mr. Sekhar has asked motorists not to tamper with vehicles. Associations of city bus operators and autorickshaw drivers will be intimated of the proposed action on Saturday.

The police will start impounding the violating buses, cars and motorcycles from Sunday, he said.