Dear Editor,

There is an urgent need for attention to aspects of public safety and decency. The unwelcome growing trend of public passenger vehicles (PPVs) operating as mobile dance halls is a stark reflection of a deeper societal malaise, a penchant for indiscipline, and a blatant disregard for the rights of others. This is no longer just a matter of discomfort, it is a critical safety hazard and a public nuisance that demands immediate intervention.

The excessive decibel levels in these vehicles is dangerous. When a driver is inundated with ear-splitting music, he/she is physically unable to hear emergency sirens or the cautioning horns of other motorists. This selfishness puts every passenger and road user at risk for the sake of distasteful entertainment.

Equally disturbing is the content being broadcast. The proliferation of lewd, sexually explicit music, often demeaning to our mothers and daughters, is particularly intolerable when our schoolchildren and other commuters, returning home from a hard day’s work, are the captive audience.

Jamaican law is not silent on this. The Road Traffic Act and the Noise Abatement Act provide clear frameworks to curb this behaviour. Furthermore, the Transport Authority has repeatedly reminded operators that sound equipment is prohibited on PPVs.

Authorities must move beyond reminders to rigorous and continuous enforcement. Commuters deserve a journey defined by safety and decorum, not a forced seat in a mobile nightclub. I urge the public to take an active role by reporting these infractions via the Transport Authority’s monitoring channels.

We must stop indulging the inconsiderate few at the expense of the many. Among the numerous problems beings experienced is the fact that the authorities rely on special drives or periodic crackdowns rather than continuous monitoring. Operators often anticipate these periods, only to return to their previous behaviour once the focus shifts.

Ralston Nunes

ralstonnunes@gmail.com