Uber partners 'Young Indians' to promote ‘Horn Not Okay Please' initiative

Aims to sensitize driver partners in 29 cities across India about the perils of noise pollution caused by vehicular honks

by Shrutee K/DNS 

Mumbai, January 25, 2017: Uber, the world's largest on-demand ride-sharing company, joined hands with Young Indians(Yi) - an initiative of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),  to celebrate the ‘Horn Not Okay Please Day’ on January 25 across India. "Horn Not OK Please" (HNOP) is an initiative that aims to invite attention to the problem of various forms of noise pollution and to suggest ways to minimize it. Towards this cause, the HNOP campaign was initiated by Yi in 2013 with the sole aim to reduce noise pollution especially in cities, giving the message to use vehicular honks only when necessary. Through this partnership with the Young Indians, Uber will support this cause by conducting an educational drive at its onboarding centers to sensitize hundreds of thousands of its driver partners across India about noise pollution caused by vehicular honks and spread awareness on this issue.

“Constant honking or being exposed to high-intensity horns can cause health hazards including partial or complete deafness. We are really excited to partner with Uber on ‘Horn Not OK Please” campaign, conceptualized to create awareness about noise pollution caused by vehicular honks. Through this campaign we have already reached out to over 15 million citizens through awareness sessions, campaigns, distribution of stickers, discussions and road trips. Uber’s driver partners will further help spread awareness about this cause amidst its wide rider base and citizens across the country,” said Ankkit Aggarwal, National Member- Projects, Young Indians (Yi)

A study by World Health Organization terms noise pollution as the deadliest because of its health and social implications including hearing impairment, interference with spoken communication, cardiovascular disturbances, mental health problems, impaired cognition, negative social behaviour and sleep disturbances. Another study from Centre for Science and Environment reported that some areas in Delhi experience 90 dB during peak traffic at residential zones. This calls for urgent attention.

“Incessant honking not only contributes to the noise-pollutions leading to health hazards but can also be stressful for the riders, and others on the road. Encouraging our driver-partners to be judicious in their use of horn while driving is a part of Uber’s larger push towards responsible driving,” said Ms Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Head- Public Policy, Uber India.

Uber has been committed to addressing issues of congestion and pollution in cities through solutions like carpooling and ridesharing. Partnering with Young India (Yi) on creating awareness around issues like noise pollution caused by vehicles, is another step towards celebrating Indian cities and making it safer for generations to come.