Traffic Control in India

Over the last few weeks, I have been travelling a lot ( taking a toll on my already fragile system!)


One thing stuck me was how horrible our sense of traffic was.. 

• Lane discipline is a universal violation. 
• Everyone is in tearing hurry. 
• We honk just too much. There should be a ban on honking... 'NO Horn Please, OK'
• No empathy on road, we are never courteous to the fellow-travellers. 
• Of course, city roads are over-crowded with cars, and at times trucks. 
• No specific timings & routes for trucks ?! 
• Public transport gets no priority. 
• Our autorickshaws are.... wow ! This deserves a separate story/post :)
• Traffic Cops are usually not 'managing' traffic, but only 'penalising' - whether on city roads, catching the offenders, rightfully. Or, on suburbs/highways, the truck-drivers - may not be always 'offenders' !

The ratio of cops deployed against the optimum no required to manage is surely not sufficient.  But that is no excuse to to focus more on penalising, than managing traffic.

Got this story from a friend, about the blackberry devices used by traffic cops in Blore. Yet to see one, but very inspiring story, it is actually being implemented.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/situation-in-hand/477544/

Pls don't get me wrong. I don't want to sound snobbish. These days, I am under no pressure to reach my destinations, no work-pressure, etc. Hence, perhaps, observing a lot more ! Also, I would like to think I am more empathetic!!! 
Traffic is so much more organised even in Middle East, leave alone other developed countries. And we have lots of Indians driving on ME roads. 


The traffic depts & govts need to do their bit to inculcate traffic discipline. But then, we need to take some responsibility too.


Happy & Safe driving .....