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notjustinfo.com |
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Knowledge centre for MBA students. |
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Traffic Scenario in Chennai R.Jaygopal One of the most
potent problems confronting the urban planners of Chennai city is its
vehicular traffic problem. A problem that has been neglected over the years, has
today become a potential hazard to anyone using the roads. Be it on a
two-wheeler, four-wheeler or any other mode of transport. Even the casual
walker is not spared what with danger lurking in every step. If it is not a
cyclist or auto rickshaw banging you, it could be a berserk bus or lorry
driver ploughing his vehicle into you. You might ask, what then is the safest
way to travel? If you ask me, none! Then arises the question, what then is
the responsibility of the elected corporators or is it the traffic police
against whom ones ire has to be directed. The fact in reality is all
officials; right from the corporators, civic officials right down to the
traffic constable manning the junction is responsible for this debacle.
Examining each ones role closer would clearly state where the problem lies. First to start with the
corporators and civic officials are to be blamed for the unplanned and
ill-conceived development taking place. New nagars and townships are created
with much fanfare and named after their political mentors to please them, but
no other aspect of development is given a thought. No proper approach roads
planned, no prior intimation and co-ordination given to metro water,
telephones and other need based service providers. As a result land is
allotted flouting all conventions, licenses granted to set up roadside stalls
and shops and whenever the need is felt, one of the statutory service
providers like metro water dig up the entire road to give a new connection.
Flyovers and bridges built without taking into consideration the strength or
future vehicular space needed. At the second level come the RTO's
and transport authorities who renew or give fresh licenses to vehicles
without ascertaining the conditions of the vehicles or its drivers with a
result that more vehicles ply off the road than on the road nowadays.
Included here are the government transport drivers who take every citizens
life for granted and believe in exhibiting their ownership over the city's
roads every now and then. And, yes how can we forget
ourselves, the owners and drivers of numerous cycles, autos, two wheelers,
cars (both foreign and local) etc. Surely, we can't be absolved entirely of
the blame of contributing towards this mess. Because we always believe the guy
or gal (increasingly the girls who advocate equal opportunity in creating
accidents too) in front is a moron and doesn’t know to drive his vehicle, the
yellow lines or the centre medians in the middle of the roads are for
decorative purpose and not for maintaining our lane, the head lights on our
vehicles are for brightening up the world around us (even though the street
lights accomplish that) and the horns to check if the populace is able to
hear or is turning deaf. Last, but not least, the role our famed
men in uniform play towards the above-mentioned mess. In the day if it is the
hot sun that numbs the senses and handicaps the constable from managing
traffic forcing him to be a roadside spectator who, when the need arises,
pounces on an unsuspecting two wheeler rider then in the night it is the
pollution and sheer flow of traffic that forces our poor constable to take
refuge behind the traffic signal only to make the customary pounce when the
need arises. How can we be denied our
fundamental right to jump the signal even before it turns green and continue
even after it has turned red? Who can stop us from proving the manufacturers
right by exhibiting for all to see the basic feature of our vehicle " 0
to 60 miles per hour in 10 seconds", flat. Who can stop us from
exhibiting our primitive qualities of crossing the road in front of a
speeding vehicle or make a sudden u-turn to teach would be Schumacher’s the
art of cutting corners. In my opinion the manufacturers of technologically
advanced vehicles are the biggest fools. Because they spend a lot of valuable
R&D and money to provide additional features like turning indicators,
safety belts etc. when our primitive nature just doesn’t allow us to use
these gizmos. ...to be continued Next week we shall examine in detail the traffic problems and possible solutions. Netizens are requested to send in their views and queries on the above. |
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