Dominoes and darts banned as 'too noisy', but fireworks 14 hours a day allowed
Dominoes and darts banned as 'too noisy', but fireworks 14 hours a day allowed
BAR customers in Sevilla are not allowed to play dominoes or darts in outside seating areas because of 'noise nuisance' – but fiesta groups are allowed to let off fireworks around the clock.
Residents have complained about what they consider to be 'illogical' bye-laws which on the one hand are 'ludicrously strict' and on the other, 'far too lenient'.
As well as a ban on dominoes and darts on outdoor patios of cafés, restaurants and bars, customers are not permitted to eat or drink standing up near these outside terraces, set up TV screens for punters, roll beer-barrels along the ground outside, and drivers can also be fined for 'over-accelerating' in their cars because of the 'noise' it creates.
Yet during the various fiestas in the city, fireworks can be let off between 09.00hrs and 23.00hrs.
And live music and discos are permitted in bars provided they do not share the same plot of land as a residential property, such as being underneath or above a flat.
At least 100 complaints about the bye-laws have been received by members of the opposition in the PP-led city council.
The PP insists that the rules are aimed at 'reaching a compromise' between bars and restaurants trying to earn a living, and residents' 'right to a good night's sleep'.
This said, most of the rules are likely to go unchecked if broken after dark, since environmental inspectors do not work night shifts, police do not have the necessary equipment to monitor decibel levels, and the city council does not have the means to enforce the bye-laws.
