Some 3,000 Mexico City restaurants affiliated with the national restaurant association Canirac have made a formal commitment to not exceed permitted noise levels.
Canirac president Germán González entered into an agreement with the Mexico City government on his organization’s behalf on Wednesday.
The pact, signed by González and Mexico City Environment and Zoning Prosecutor Mariana Boy on International Noise Awareness Day, commits restaurants to keeping sound system levels below 65 decibels between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and below 62 decibels during other hours.
The agreement also committed restaurant owners to ensuring that their establishments are soundproofed to mitigate their impact on the areas around them. The Mexico City government will distribute a “guide to good acoustic practices” to advise proprietors on reducing the noise pollution their restaurants generate.
“This collaboration agreement we’re signing today confirms our full interest and commitment to promoting healthy coexistence [based on] mutual respect,” González said.
“Our responsibility to citizens, customers and neighbors is to comply with what the law establishes. It’s not optional, it’s an obligation,” he said.
The Canirac chief said that a campaign reminding restaurants of their commitment will be launched under the slogan and hashtag #YaBájaleyCumple, which advises proprietors to reduce noise in order to comply with the law.
Restaurants that fail to comply face initial fines of up to 3,848 pesos (US $188). Repeat offenders face the possibility of being slapped with a much larger fine and also run the risk of being shut down by authorities.
Boy said that 14 restaurants have been closed due to repeated noise violations since 2019, including six this year.
Mexico City is the eighth noisiest city in the world, according to a 2017 study cited in the guide to be issued to restaurants. Noise complaints are very common in the capital, and restaurants are among the most complained about establishments.
With reports from Reforma and El Universal
