NOISE from people who gather in city parks and streets to sing and dance to recorded music will be banned late at night and in the early morning, the city's environmental protection authority has said.
The public gathering is a quite popular entertainment among local seniors, but they sometimes continue until midnight, leading to complaints from neighbors.
Locals will not be allowed to use musical instruments or sound systems between 10pm and 6am on local streets, squares, parks and other public places, the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau said in a response to a proposal from the city's political advisory body. The town governments, neighborhood committees and police will supervise the gatherings and those violating the stipulations will be punished, the bureau said.
Anyone who ignores the regulations faces a fine ranging from 200 yuan (US$32) to 500 yuan, according to the draft law proposed by the city government.
However, the government should also install sound barriers and noise monitoring facilities for the communities close to public places, the bureau added. New pubs and karaoke venues should not be permitted next to residential buildings.
"The city government receives over 100,000 complaints about noise each year - 48 percent of total complaints about environmental pollution," said Chen Qi, a political advisor.