The animosity most people display against loud exhausts is quite universal – by and large, few appreciate high levels of obnoxious, jarring noise coming off the tailpipe, especially in an urban environment, but most let the odd grate slip by. It’s when it becomes regular and obtrusive that inevitably, measures to curb things are taken, as was the case earlier this year in Malaysia, when authorities clamped down on vehicles with modified exhausts.
Now, the Philippines is planning to do the same, but the containment measures are specific to a particular locale, in this case Manila. As Autoindustriya reports, the city is looking to come down hard on those with irritatingly loud exhausts on their vehicles with the proposed implementation of Ordinance No 8154, which in simpler terms is known as the “Anti-Muffler Ordinance.”
Essentially, under the new decree, those caught with an obnoxiously loud exhaust fitted on their vehicle will be fined, and the modified muffler or exhaust will be removed. The penalty for the first offense is a PHP 1,000 fine (RM84) and the removal of the muffler.
The offence can be charged repeatedly, so it’s not going to be a simple case of paying up, slapping on a replacement and going on one’s loud and merry way again. There’s a PHP 3,000 fine (RM251) for the second offence and PHP 5,000 (RM418) fine for the third offence, each time with removal of the modified exhaust.
According to Manila city councilor Joel Villanueva, the upcoming ordinance was filed following complaints by residents, where vehicles with loud and noises exhausts were disturbing the peace and bothering folk. While city dwellers are expected to support the ordinance, the same isn’t the case with car and motorcycle enthusiasts, who have questioned the lack of details and guidelines regarding its proposed implementation.
Some clarity on the topic was then provided by Villanueva. He said that under the proposed ordinance, authorities cannot arrest violators, with only the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) and the Philippine national police (PNP) can issue ordinance violator receipts, to prevent any abuse.
The councilor also said that enforcers can’t just play it by ear, but will have to use a decibel meter to check if the exhaust is too loud. He said officials will follow the noise limit of 99 dB set by the country’s land transportation office (LTO), which actually provides higher thresholds than that found in our Environmental Quality (Motor Vehicle Noise) regulations 1987 (80 db (A-weighting) for four-wheel, 95 dbA level for two-wheel vehicles below 125 cc, finally matching at 99 dbA for bikes above 125 cc).
He added that exemptions to the ordinance would be given to vehicles used for car shows and racing and motorsport competitions as well as for motorcycles with an engine displacement of 400 cc and above.
