A full-fledged Metro of the kind in Paris is an attractive proposition. It is, however, unrealistic in a developing economy that has many other priorities.
WHEN two Englishmen meet in London, they invariably complain about the weather even though both know they can do precious little about it. What do two Indians discuss these days in Chennai, Bangalore or Mumbai? There is nothing hotter than the deterio rating traffic conditions on the streets. The average time a motorist spends on the road to commute to his workplace is becoming longer and longer. The loss of man-hours and valuable fuel is something that should provoke each one of us to introspect on whether we, as citizens, are doing anything at all to help stem the rot.
There is just no point in throwing up our hands in desperation and stopping with merely blaming the government or the police for the mess around us. Both agencies have no doubt a lot of explaining to do as to why they cannot perform better to bring a semblance of order on our streets. This does not, however, dilute for a moment the role we can give to ourselves to bring about at least a marginal improvement to an increasingly dangerous situation. If we do not intervene quickly and meaningfully, we may reach a point when we just cannot step out of our homes to transact the minimum business required to carry on with our lives.
I am amused when people compare cities, saying one is better than the other. This is too superficial. All cities are equally bad. The exploding vehicle population, badly maintained roads, shrinking road width, shameful corruption of traffic enforcement staff and growing user indiscipline are common to all cities. The lack of political will acutely compounds the problem. Many of us seem to be resigned to our fate, identical to our response to the soul-destroying corruption in public life that haunts us wherever we go in India. We need to make more noise, individually and collectively, if we are to survive the days to come.
Where does a traffic improvement agenda begin? Common sense tells us that we should first attempt a drastic reduction in the number of vehicles on the road. There is the Procrustean suggestion that favours restrictions on the production of automobiles. On the face of it, this is logical, one that takes into account our extremely poor infrastructure. In a burgeoning economy, however, a cut in automobile production is a retrograde measure and can be thought of only if we first establish, at least in our major cities, a fast and reliable public transport system, which assures hassle-free travel.
No doubt, important cities the world over, even in the developed West, are struggling to maintain quality systems. The fabled London tube is groaning under the weight of the sheer numbers it has to carry each day. It has also a cash crunch that prevents it from renewing its rolling stock. The frequent wage increases that its staff demands add to its woes.
An underground system costs a lot of money. India may therefore have to think in terms of the less expensive over-the-ground track. Chennai has attempted this in a small way, but it will have to expand this quickly if the system has to become attractive and user-friendly. I would commend this to many other cities that have been thinking of an ambitious underground network. A full-fledged Metro of the kind in Paris is definitely an attractive proposition. It is, however, unrealistic in a developing economy that has many other priorities and is bogged down by a crippling bureaucracy.
On the part of State governments, there is some evidence of zeal in relieving congestion at bottlenecks. This is in the form of flyovers, which have sprung up in large numbers in most of our cities. They are often put up at the wrong intersections and are too narrow to be of any great relief. It is not surprising that within months of their construction the galloping volume of traffic renders them mere ornamental pieces.
The solution is to ease traffic all over a city and not at mere pressure points. The only way to do this is to make more space available on existing roads for free movement of vehicles. Such extra space can become a reality only if pedestrians do not walk on roads meant for vehicles. But then, why do pedestrians encroach on space that should be the preserve of motorists? It is squarely because there are no pavements on many roads, and where available they are either broken or occupied by hawkers.
This is where the issues of political will and corruption figure. According to some knowledgeable circles, pavements are allowed to be encroached upon for a consideration that is paid at the time of irregular occupation and then on a monthly or daily basis. The civic authorities and the police blame each other for this state of affairs. The police claim that they have no authority to evict hawkers and that it is the civic body that should give directions. They cite stay orders of courts against eviction as one major reason why they cannot act. This slanging match goes on forever, leaving road conditions abysmal.
The whole situation can change if governments give forthright directions to the civic authorities and the police to evict unauthorised vendors from pavements. However, no State government is willing to do this for fear of a political fallout. One wonders why this should be handled as a political question. Cannot governments build unanimity across the political firmament citing the dangers of allowing the current mess on the roads to continue?
It is here that public opinion should assert itself. As a citizen who pays taxes, am I not entitled to a clean and safe pavement that permits unhindered movement to go about my avocation? Only if citizens associations fight for this fundamental right can they justify their existence. Courts will play ball with the administration as long as they are convinced that an eviction is in public interest, and they will hesitate to issue stay orders as they do now on the flimsiest of grounds.
The crux of the matter is whether governments are at all interested in the free flow of traffic on our roads; they risk alienating small groups of traders who will be displaced by eviction orders. Rehabilitation of a limited number of the affected persons by moving them to areas where they do not hinder traffic is an accepted practice, one that can take the sting out of any propaganda against eviction.
Citizens bodies can help enforcement in a number of ways. First is the enlistment of volunteers who will regulate traffic during peak hours, especially near schools and places of worship. Such duty calls only for a few hours of training, which the police will willingly undertake. This has to be a major exercise by hundreds of citizens groups if it has to relieve the police of a large part of their burden. It is not as if this kind of citizen involvement is not already there. My feeling is that this is at present just nominal. I would like to see a massive expansion of the informal system that is in place.
More than anything else, I am most exercised by the cavalier attitude of road-users, especially the educated among them, to traffic etiquette and rules. Over-speeding, overtaking from the left, switching lanes indiscriminately and without warning, excessive horning and jumping traffic lights are offences that are committed ad nauseam by an Indian motorist. These are rampant especially at points where policemen are not present.
Road behaviour depends wholly on police presence or absence. This is shameful for a country that makes tall claims of civilised conduct. The old saying goes: Honesty is something that you do when you are not being watched. This does not at all apply to the person who drives on our streets and has no compunction about breaking rules or offering, on his own, a bribe to a traffic policeman when caught for a violation. Can there be anything more disgraceful?
The police have a difficult job to do under the most trying circumstances. The heat and pollution they have to brave for long hours each day can be dehumanising, to say the least. Against these odds they also have to contend with the aggressive behaviour of many members of the public who display an utter disregard of traffic rules. Only a sweeping change in the attitude of the people can bring relief on the roads given the existing infrastructure.
A mere addition to the ranks of traffic police cannot enhance compliance with rules. Only self-imposed discipline on the part of the majority can establish at least a modicum of order in the endangered space that the Indian road is. This can be inculcated only in our schools. We need a new generation that will not only adhere to road discipline but will do all it can to assist the police. Meanwhile, can every one of us take a New Year pledge that we will not jump the red light even if no vehicles are in our vicinity and no policeman is watching? There is no better way to begin 2008 and make our roads safer for the millions who use them every day. Do we not owe this to fellow-citizens, thousands of whom die on the road tragically every year by the thoughtlessness of others? Let us not wait for the police or governments to instil this into us.
COMMents
COMMents
SHARE