Vehicles whose technical condition does not meet the requirements of the noise control system they create and which disturb people's peace of mind when driving around the city have been a problem that has been the focus of attention for a long time. Effective noise control is hampered by the legal framework that the Ministry of the Interior has now undertaken to address in co-operation with the Riga City Council.
Currently, only the State Police has the right to carry out noise control. It is expected that in the 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 the Minister for the Interior M. Golubeva an action plan on measures to be taken by the end of this year to implement an inadequate vehicle noise control system in the country and ensure its successful implementation in practice.
"Since taking office, I have received suggestions from many people on how to make their lives safer. There are situations where the solutions are complex and it will take a long time to get to them. And then there are situations like motorcycle noise - here the solution is relatively simple and requires co-operation between the Riga City Council and the Ministry of the Interior, which we will also implement. Every member of society deserves to live in an environment where others do not violate his right to peace," noted Minister M.Golubeva.
Riga Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis believes that the problem has intensified year by year: “The noise of loud vehicles, mostly motorcyclists, is especially disturbing to the townspeople in this warm time, when many windows are open. Noise also occurs in the evenings and at night. Riga City Council receives complaints from residents almost every day, but the local government does not have any real tools 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 solve the problem! ”