The Ministry of the Interior and Riga City Council Launch a Joint Campaign Against Excessively Loud Motorcycles

Vehicles whose technical condition does not comply with requirements concerning systems for monitoring the noise they produce and which disturb people’s peace while travelling through the city are a problem that has long received attention. The legal framework makes effective noise control difficult, and the Ministry of the Interior, in cooperation with the Riga City Council, has now undertaken to address this issue. 

At present, only the State Police has the authority to carry out noise controls. It is planned that in future the noise-control system will be provided by both the State Police and the municipal police. By mid-August, representatives of the ministry and the State Police will submit to Minister of the Interior M. Golubeva an action plan setting out the measures to be taken so that, by the end of this year, a system for monitoring noise produced by non-compliant vehicles can be introduced nationwide and its effective implementation in practice ensured.

"Since taking office as minister, I have received suggestions from many people on how to make their lives safer. There are situations in which the solutions are complex and will take a long time to develop. And then there are situations such as the noise produced by motorcycles—here, the solution is relatively simple and requires cooperation between the Riga City Council and the Ministry of the Interior, which we will implement. Every member of society deserves to live in an environment where others do not infringe upon their right to peace," Minister M. Golubeva noted.

Riga Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis believes that the problem has grown year by year: “The noise produced by loud vehicles, mostly motorcycles, is particularly disturbing to city residents during the warm season, when many windows are open. The noise also occurs in the evenings and at night. The Riga City Council receives residents’ complaints almost every day, but the municipality has no real tools at its disposal to improve the situation. I am therefore pleased that we have managed to find common ground with the Minister of the Interior on joint action to resolve the problem!”

Author:

Adviser to the Minister on public relations

Ministry of the Interior

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