Brussels Liberal MPs Anne-Charlotte d’Ursel and David Weytsman announced on Tuesday the presentation of a motion for a resolution in the Brussels Parliament aimed at “fight noise pollution through smartphone speakers on the STIB network“.
They want the behavior of users who share their music and/or phone conversations with everyone to be punished.
The two authoring deputies base their proposal on a recommendation from the recent Brussels deliberative commission on noise which, according to them, clearly called for raising awareness about the use of loudspeakers (telephone, deflector, etc.) in public transport.
“But the Brussels government did not follow this recommendation. If most STIB users know the principle that their freedom ends where that of others begins, some still do not seem aware that using a loudspeaker can represent a real inconvenience for the people around them. It surprises me how many people behave like this.“commented Anne-Charlotte d’Ursel, in a press release.
For David Weytsman, this proposal is not trivial. Numerous studies demonstrate the harmful effects of noise pollution on health. There is little talk about noise pollution, even on buses, trams and, above all, in subways. However, its users usually spend almost 2 hours a day in the stations and vehicles along their route. An annoying noise level not only represents a nuisance, but can also have consequences for hearing and health in general.
