Existing Situation
All of us have been
witnessing or rather living the horrible condition of traffic in our city.
The news items like "PMT bus overruns a scooter, 2 dead" or
"Truck and Tempo collision. 3 dead, 7 injured", have become so
much common now, that we have become immune to these. What happens
typically after such incidents? These are followed by letters from readers
in the newspapers expressing anguish, appearing of the speed breakers at
the spot, which disappear after some time and except for the family or
families of the victims the world is normal again, as if nothing happened!
What are we doing regarding this horrifying problem? If we apply this
question to the 3 important elements of the society, viz. Corporation,
Traffic police and the Citizens, what do we see?
PMC (Corporation) at least seems to be doing the work of road widening
with all seriousness, and should get good marks for this, though there is
lot to be done in other aspects, such as traffic signals etc. As far as the
traffic police are concerned, barring the exceptions of the annual events
like Ganesh or Moharram processions, lot more proactive and work needs to
be done.
And what are we doing as citizens? The answer "nothing" would be
better, since we are actually aggravating the problem by constantly
breaking the traffic rules. Other very significant activity is everybody
(from the above 3 constituents) keeps blaming and criticizing the other.
Next step in breaking the traffic rules is that we have started
rationalizing it. We think, "If only I follow the rules, when others
are breaking, I will be considered a fool" or "If you have to
survive in this world, you have to be smart!".
There
are two types of traffic-rules-breaking people. First type is "It is
my birthright" types i.e. diehards. They don't even feel, they are
doing something wrong. Second type (and probably the much larger
percentage) of people do feel they are doing something wrong. They may not
break the rules to start with, however on the road when few people of the
first type take the lead, they just get carried along.
It must however be remembered that, second type are likely to get
converted to first type over a period of time. Also, many times the young
children are also traveling with us and are automatically absorbing the
tricks of the trade and if we are in the second type, the children will
certainly grow to be of first type, i.e. rule-breakers-with-no-shame.
Friends, where are we all going? Must we not do something for this and
Now?
Friends,
so we have essentially created this traffic demon! signicant contributions
have been made by all sections of the society.This demon is gobbling up
somebody or the other from time to time, with increasing frequency.
Still, why don't we do anything about it, in all earnestness? Is the
answer to this question same as that of the question, "why do we
while away so much time in life?" and that is, unconsciously we feel,
"still there is long long life to go, and this demon is not meant for
us or our near and dear ones?"
Or is it mainly because, we don't see, what we can do as individuals?
Can
we leave it to Gods?
(Pune has plenty. But in this case, Gods also will not help us!)
Should we leave it to Police? It has been like that anyway, and see where
we are. Even if we say, police should take strong action, can it be
sufficient? e.g. If a handful of people commit crime, police can control
it, but if all people start committing crime, can Police be sufficient?
Will military be sufficient?
Should we just form yet another forum and criticize and advise what
police, PMC and other administration should do? Friends, as you all know,
enough of this has happened, and as you can see, criticism has temporary
or no effect.
So the point is, we
ourselves must do something. Now. And something different.