news has asked the audience what they wonder about elections and politics. We have received several hundred questions. Here we answer one of them. Trond Holen has three children, and says that they have all been woken up by the ice cream truck while resting. – We are talking about several hours on Sundays. There is crazy loud and terrible music and the kids woke up and started crying. His children are currently 13, 11 and 8 years old. They no longer wake up from the storm, but share their father’s irritation over the ice cream truck, says Holen. – Now they are no longer babies, but it is very annoying to hear the car for hours every Sunday. It’s not exactly holiday peace to get from them. Now he hopes the municipality will take action. – It would have helped if they had muted the sound, but it would have been best if they had stopped the noise. Why should they be allowed to make noise on Sundays, when there is public holiday peace? It is very provocative that they are allowed to continue like this and there should have been a ban. Has woken up several Trond Holen children are not the only ones who have been woken up by the ice cream truck. This was answered by other Sandnes residents when news asked. Swipe to see what they say: Elise Pedersen Marius Hegre: – The ice cream trucks come every Sunday. It rings in the street, and it usually stops right below us and plays loud music. Then he wakes up, and as parents we have to get him to sleep again, but it’s not always that easy. People live close here, and we can hear it quite well. He hopes the sound level of the ice cream truck can be regulated. Elise Pedersen The Steinskog family: Ingve Steinskog has fond memories of the ice cream van, but Kristin Steinskog says they never bought ice cream from the ice cream van as adults. – Our youngest has woken up a few times when the ice cream truck comes and she is resting. It’s a loud noise, but I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. I think there are more important things to take up with the politicians, says Kristin. They have two daughters; Live and Tuva. Tuva tells news that she thinks the sound from the ice cream truck is scary because it is loud. Elise Pedersen Håvard Mannsåker: – Ice is good, but since we were little it has always made a lot of noise, especially when we were going to sleep. He is not bothered by a lot of noise where he now lives in Sandnes. – But I remember that father was very annoyed. And I think he went out a few times to tell them not to play music so late. He will not make any requests to the municipality. – If we lived closer to a main road, it might happen. Elise Pedersen Arni Julius Røgnvaldsson: – One of the ice cream trucks has a sound that sticks in your head, and it plays loudly. The melody sticks in your head and stays there until you clean it out with something else. He also thinks the ice cream truck drives in the neighborhood at the latest. – I wish the municipality would lay down some guidelines, but we don’t need any laws, as long as they don’t play too late. Are you bothered by the sound level of the ice cream truck where you live? 🍦 No, it’s just cozy! 🎶 Yes, the sound is too loud 🔊 Show result The politicians answer the question from Trond Holen. Swipe to see what they say: Øystein Otterdal Olaug Bollestad, party leader of KrF and member of the Health and Care Committee: I was at a baptism once where the brother of the child to be baptized thought the church bells were the ice cream truck. In the middle of the service. So children are prepared for the ice cream truck to come at all times of the day. I think that this is a local political issue, but that the ice cream truck should think about when and how to arrive. Elise Pedersen Arne Buchholdt Espedal, mayoral candidate for Ap in Sandnes: I understand well that it can be disturbing. At the same time, it’s also a bit cozy, and to the delight of the children. If they are woken by the sound, it is more about the volume. But then I ask questions about how we should regulate it. I often think it helps if people think about it. The fact that this is something we have the opportunity to regulate was new to me, but so far I think it might not be such a big problem. If several actors are to start with this, there will be a lot of noise. Then we can think about it, and think about whether we should regulate this. Ismail Burak Akkan Erna Solberg, party leader in Høyre: How troubled you are, I think depends on where you are and how much it pays back. But I think we will survive it. It mostly appears in your neighborhood only one day a week. Berit Roald Mímir Kristjánsson, parliamentary representative for Rødt and member of the labor and social committee: I have to say that this is not the biggest case in the world. But I have two children myself, and while they may not wake up to the sound, it has caused problems in other ways when they hear the ice cream truck. It is a rather invasive form of advertising, and there is not too little advertising in our society. I think that one should look at limitations of the sound, although I cannot promise that this will be taken up in the Storting. But I understand that people react to how this disrupts, and I’ve seen on social media that it divides people. It’s also very cozy with the ice cream truck. Elise Pedersen Nina Birgitte Stokke, first candidate for SV in Sandnes: We have not had this up for discussion, but it is very relevant. SV is concerned with both sound and light pollution. There is also a difference in noise. One makes a lot of noise, while the other has nice and pleasant music. I think there must be a balance between them being allowed to have some noise, but that it is not disruptive. It is not inconceivable that we will look at whether we can regulate this, if it turns out to be an annoyance to many. There must be facilities where it is possible to make everyone ready. Maybe within different hours, or to mute the sound. A ban might not be the best, but I don’t know. Elise Pedersen Inger Helen Aanestad, first candidate for Sp in Sandnes: I have to admit that this has not been reported to us, and the problem has not been reported as far as we are aware. If it emerges that this is a problem, we must consider measures. Elise Pedersen Guttorm Stangeland, leader of Høyre in Sandnes: It is often these types of cases that are very engaging. This is what is close to people, and it is often matters that concern people’s everyday life, which are most important. I hear some say that it can be very loud, but then there are many who appreciate it and think it is perfectly fine. The Conservative Party is not a prohibition party, and there must be good reasons for considering such measures. If there is a discussion on this, we may be able to consider it. Perhaps we can look at fixed times and opportunities to regulate the level. Elise Pedersen Pål Morten Borgli, deputy mayor for Frp in Sandnes: We think it is the children who must make the decision whether the ice cream truck makes too much noise. We also have suggestions for a new melody on the ice cream truck; The future today. It’s an FRP song that we think would have suited the ice cream truck well. Vid Ruud Helge Andre Njåstad, parliamentary representative for the FRP and first deputy chairman of the municipal and administration committee: For me, the ice cream truck is the sound of joy, and it is a good service to get out to people. We in Frp cheer for the ice cream truck. The Marketing Act does not prohibit audio advertising. But audio advertising can be regulated in the local police statutes, which are determined by the individual municipality. In Oslo, for example, it is forbidden to draw attention to sales by using sound and light. From the police statutes in Oslo Excerpt from § 2-2.Song and music, advertising etc. It is also forbidden to draw attention to sales activities by using sound or light or in any other way that particularly disturbs general peace, order or traffic. According to Gunn Marit Aasvang in the department for air quality and noise at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), it is unlikely that the noise from the ice cream truck, which comes once in a while, will have any lasting negative health consequences. Children are believed to be particularly vulnerable to noise. The municipalities nevertheless have several instruments under the Public Health Act and regulations for environmental health protection to stop or adjust the sound level of noise that can cause health problems. – Bodily discomfort, disturbed night’s sleep, communication and/or concentration difficulties, risk of hearing damage, reduced well-being, stress, anxiety etc. are basically relevant in an assessment. Also the number of people exposed to noise, frequency and length of noise exposure, she writes to news. – More people want higher than lower sound Mari Ellestad is director of strategy and communication at Diplom-Is. She writes in an e-mail to news that 14 days pass between each time their ice truck visits an area. – We adjust the sound level according to the surroundings. There is a big difference between whether we drive in densely populated areas or in areas where there is a longer distance between the houses and the road. She points out that Diplom-Is receives inquiries from customers who want them to adjust the sound down, but also up. This is also written by commercial manager for Isbilen AS, Anita Scharffenberg. – The extent to which we can reduce the use of sound and light is a balancing act for the company, as we receive more inquiries about the customers not hearing us than we receive complaints about the volume being too loud. The Act on Bank Holiday Peace applies to ordinary Sundays. Then there will be public holiday peace that no one must disturb with “undue noise”. – We must ensure the peace of society in the best possible way on such days. At the same time, we must balance this with the fact that more and more people want Isbilen to come by on days when families, friends, neighbors or others are often gathered for a good time, writes Scharffenberg in Isbilen AS. Undue noise means noise that is more than what is right and reasonable, and affects, among other things, the use of noisy garden tools, according to advokat.no. – It takes a lot to characterize a noisy business as inappropriate. The Diplom-Is car plays a melody a few times before it then drives on, in addition to the sound level being adjusted down in densely built-up areas to take extra care, writes Ellestad in Diplom-Is. Would you like to read more questions that we at news have answered? Here is an overview:
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Which parties are for and against the ice cream truck’s noise? – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
