"Residents of one of India's most upmarket neighbourhoods say the country's first musical road has turned their daily lives into a nightmare soundtrack. A stretch of Mumbai's recently opened Coastal Road seafront expressway has been engineered to play the pulsating Oscar-winning tune Jai Ho from the movie Slumdog Millionaire when vehicles drive on it at lower speeds. Civic officials say the feature is intended to encourage safer driving and is the first of its kind in India."
"Residents say the refrain of Jai Ho, which roughly translates from Hindi as let there be victory, plays repeatedly from 6am until midnight. More than 650 families have signed a formal complaint urging authorities to stop the music, describing it as constant intrusive background noise that has caused significant distress. The tune enters homes, the complaint says, and many households keep their windows shut to block it out."
"Engineers have carved grooves in the asphalt that act like a giant vinyl record. When vehicles pass over them at between 45 and 50mph (70 and 80km/h), vibrations produce the tune composed by the Indian musician AR Rahman. If they drive too fast, the vibrations become uncomfortable, motivating drivers to slow down. Signs alert motorists before the musical stretch, telling them the speed required to experience the tune."
Mumbai's Coastal Road includes a 500-metre engineered musical section that produces AR Rahman's Jai Ho when vehicles drive over grooves in the asphalt at 45–50mph (70–80km/h). The grooves create vibrations like a giant vinyl record, intended to encourage safer driving by making the tune audible at the target speed and uncomfortable at higher speeds. The stretch runs past Breach Candy, an upscale residential area. Residents report the tune plays repeatedly from 6am to midnight, enters homes, and has caused significant distress. More than 650 families have filed a formal complaint seeking cessation of the music. Officials presented the feature as innovation, entertainment, and a safety measure.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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