A motorist has his thumb placed firmly on the horn button in front of a no-horn zone sign painted on Chittaranjan Avenue, opposite Medical College and Hospital. Picture by Amit Datta

Calcutta police have painted the words “No-horn zone” on streets adjoining the state-run hospitals in a bid to attract the attention of motorists who ignore roadside signboards with such messages. This has been done at the behest of the state pollution control board. Metro runs a check to find out whether the move has worked.

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Medical College and Hospital

When: 3.20pm

What we saw: There are nine “no-horn zone” signs in the vicinity of the hospital, but motorists continue to flout the rule. The policeman stationed at the Eden Hospital gate, near the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, was seen urging two drivers seeking to take a U-turn from CR Avenue to stop honking as he let vehicles headed for BB Ganguly Street pass.

On being asked why he did not book the drivers, the constable said: “Given the din, how could I have identified the cars that were honking?”

Vehicles caught in the traffic congestion at the Surya Sen Street-College Street crossing were also using the horn despite the “no-horn zone” sign on the road being clearly visible. A sergeant standing close by was on his cellphone, one hand blocking the other ear.

Protest pitch: “It is tough to sleep with horns blaring every now and then. The constant rattle of trams passing by is also a strain on the ears,” said Rabin Saha, a patient in the male medicine ward of the hospital.

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SSKM Hospital

When: 5.10pm

What we saw: Drivers of vehicles moving along Harish Mukherjee Road went on honking as the waiting time exceeded the three-minute countdown displayed by the traffic-signal timer at the crossing of Sambhunath Pandit Street and Harish Mukherjee Road. The policemen on duty neither booked the offenders nor eased the traffic congestion.

“We are in a hurry. What can we do if they do not clear traffic in time?” asked Jiten Patel, one of the drivers who violated the no-honking rule.

Two of the 11 “no-horn zone” signs along Sambhunath Pandit Street and Sardar Patel Sarani were partly erased. Motorcycles, taxis and even ambulances were honking on the hospital premises.

Protest pitch: “Nobody cares about the presence of traffic constables, who will let offenders go by accepting a bribe of Rs 20-30. Only a few sergeants book offenders for entering no-entry zones or other violations like driving without seat belts or helmets. But I have never seen them booking anyone for unnecessary honking,” said pharmacy employee Anindya Chatterjee.

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Sambhunath Pandit Hospital

When: 6.05pm

What we saw: We found six “no-horn zone” signs on the roads leading to the hospital. However, in none of the stretches did anybody seem inclined to obey the rule. One of the signs on the road in front of the hospital’s outdoor department was barely visible as trucks parked along the road blocked the view. The signs were clearly visible at Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani, though the two policemen stationed there were busy chatting as a vehicle kept on honking behind a taxi that was looking for passengers.

Protest pitch: “Forget what’s happening outside; vehicles owned by the hospital’s administrators honk even on the premises. Our guards are not empowered to book offenders. We can only request drivers not to honk, though they seldom listen to us,” an official said.

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NRS Medical College and Hospital

When: 7.20pm

What we saw: A policeman was struggling to control traffic simultaneously on all four lanes in front of the hospital gate. He also had to keep an eye on cars entering or leaving the hospital. Vehicles were honking continuously as the lone policeman went about his task. Three “no-horn zone” signs were spotted along this stretch.

Protest pitch: “It is impossible for me to manage traffic single-handedly on such a busy stretch. I do not get time to drink a glass of water, leave alone book drivers for honking in this no-horn zone,” said the constable posted outside the hospital gate.

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What the joint commissioner of police (traffic), Ranvir Kumar, says: “It’s a tough job to manage traffic as well as enforce the no-honking rule with a strength of 2,500 traffic constables and 250 traffic sergeants. But whenever we spot violators, we do prosecute them. The fine is Rs 100.”

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What the member-secretary of the state noise pollution monitoring committee, Biswajit Mukherjee, says: “We organise random checks, but the police and motorists should also share the responsibility of reducing noise. There are some hospitals like NRS that face more problems because of their location. These areas are very noisy.”