Shanghai should ban early morning traffic on elevated roads near
densely populated residential areas to prevent noise pollution and
allow residents to get a good night's sleep, a representative to
the Shanghai People's Congress (SPC) proposed yesterday.
"Noise pollution has become the biggest nuisance for local
people," said Zhou Qingjiang, an SPC delegate and a Minhang
District environmental official.
Zhou submitted a bill calling for stronger noise control laws to
the ongoing session of the city's legislature.
The official noted in his bill that more than 40 percent of the
city's environmentally related residential complaints since 2002
involved noise pollution.
He said an increasing number of residential complexes, mostly
high-rises, are being built in the downtown, and many are located
close to an elevated road. Noise levels in these areas average more
than 70 decibels, which is equivalent to the sound of a busy
industrial plant.
"I feel I live beside a factory that keeps working 24 hours a
day," said Chen Junsheng, a Malaysian businessman who lives along
the Inner Ring Road, the city's earliest elevated road.
Environmental experts suggest residential noise levels should
not exceed 60 decibels. Hearing and emotional problems can be
created by noises above that point. Shanghai has about 4,000
buildings above 18 stories. Residents living in many of the
buildings don't have protection against the noise produced by
fast-moving vehicles on elevated roads.
In addition to the early morning driving ban, Zhou's proposal
also urged law makers to force the government to install
noise-insulation screens outside all residential complexes that are
close to elevated roads or rail systems. "The government should
also ban and severely punish horn honking in some areas."
He Heyong, a member of the Standing Committee of Shanghai
People's Congress, said it would be difficult to ban driving on the
city's highways, but it would be prudent to do more to outlaw horn
honking while people are sleeping.
He also noted that the government is helping many building
owners finance double-glazed windows to block noise.
(Shanghai Daily January 31, 2007)
