A driver and his assistant check and clean their sound system at the start of a journey in Biyagama, Sri Lanka. The government wants operators to turn down the volume on the notoriously loud vehicles (Ishara S. KODIKARA)
<p>Colombo (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday gave bus operators two weeks to turn down the notoriously loud music in their vehicles following complaints from passengers.</p><p>Transport minister Mahinda Amaraweera has given bus operators until January 15 to voluntarily turn down the volume or he would bring in legislation, said ministry spokesman Dharma Wanninayake said.</p><p>There are an estimated 20,000 private buses plying Sri Lankan roads, notorious for playing loud Sinhala, Tamil and Hindi songs, mainly from low-budget movies.</p><p>Long-distance buses also frequently play high-decibel music videos.</p><p>Wanninayake said there had been frequent complaints from long-suffering passengers. Many on social media have called for a complete ban on music in buses.</p><p>The National Transport Commission (NTC), the private bus regulator, was also offering a playlist of 1,000 Sinhala, Tamil and Hindi songs free of charge to be played in buses — at a reasonable level.</p><p>The list is not compulsory, however.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.