Nearby residents are urging authorities to remove a “musical road” feature on a newly opened stretch of the Mumbai Coastal Road that plays the song “Jai Ho” whenever vehicles pass over it.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building with traffic scene in India. Illustration photo by Pexels |
According to The Guardianofficials say the feature was designed to promote safer driving and improve driver alertness, marking the first installation of its kind in India.
“Jai Ho” is the Oscar-winning track from the British film “Slumdog Millionaire.”
The effect is created by grooves carved into the asphalt that function like a vinyl record. Vehicles traveling over the surface at speeds between 70 and 80 kph generate vibrations that produce the melody, while higher speeds create uncomfortable vibrations intended to prompt drivers to slow down. Road signs alert motorists to the required speed to hear the tune.
The stretch was inaugurated on Feb. 11 by Maharashtra State Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who described it as an innovative blend of engineering and road safety. The road runs past Breach Candy, one of Mumbai’s most expensive neighborhoods and home to industrialists and film stars, according to The Telegraph India.
Despite the official rationale, Breach Candy residents say the repeated tune has become an intrusive presence from early morning until midnight.
More than 650 households have filed a formal complaint with municipal authorities and the chief minister’s office, describing the music as persistent background noise that enters homes and forces many families to keep their windows closed.
The complaint also argues that auditory distractions on a busy expressway could affect driver concentration. Residents further criticized what they called a gimmick that fails to address more pressing concerns, including high-speed driving by performance vehicles along the route.
Musical roads were first introduced in Japan in 2007 and have since appeared in countries including Hungary, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S., typically in sparsely populated areas.
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