Dear Editor,
In many mini-buses operating in Georgetown the operator(s) play “music” at extremely high volume. I think of it as noise. The noise most frequently contain obscene and offensive lyrics. The overall effect is exceedingly annoying and uncomfortable. On many occasions I have had to exit such vehicles before reaching my destination because the noise is unbearable. The noise is often so loud that it is distressing to me while I am inside my home and one of those vehicles pass-by on the nearby road. Additionally, in many cases, I have observed that drivers appear to be more concerned with producing the noise instead of focusing on operating the vehicle. For those drivers, changing the selection and adjusting (raising) the volume of the noise is the priority; driving the vehicle appears to be of secondary concern. Obviously, in addition to being annoying, such a situation produces inherently unsafe conditions in a moving vehicle that is, more often than not, speeding recklessly along traffic congested streets.
It is an established medical fact that exposure to loud sounds is unhealthy; stress, hypertension, mental distress, and, most notably, hearing impairment are the likely outcomes. As such, I view the situation as not only a major annoyance but as a threat to the health of the travelling public. Editor, I often wonder how the operators of such vehicles endure that noise. Perhaps, they are already deaf. Considering the prevalence of the problem, it is impossible that law enforcement is unaware of the issue. I am therefore puzzled as to why nothing is being done. In my opinion, the failure of authorities to put an end to this nonsense is almost unbelievable. I hope that those responsible for this aspect of assuring the welfare of Guyanese take swift and continuing action to eradicate this madness and prevent it from ever occurring.
Sincerely,
Mark DaCosta
