Road experts agree that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was right when he voiced his disgust over the complete lack of road manners in India. But just no one seems to have answers to the cancerous problem.

Everyone says that a semblance of discipline is badly needed on Indian roads, that Indians who take so much pride in their civilization need to display a bit of order when they are driving or simply walking on the streets.

The Indian capital, which witnesses a fatal accident on its unruly roads every eight hours, is a good example of everything that has gone wrong in the country.

'The biggest example of mismanagement of our roads and traffic situation is in Delhi where there is virtually no place for pedestrians and bicycles,' moaned S. Gangopadhyaya, chief of the traffic planning division of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), which is run by the central government.

'Non-availability of a good public transport system adds to increasing number of private vehicles on the roads, adding to this chaos,' Gangopadhyaya told IANS.

That, others say, is just one part of the whole story.

Experts and officials say - and people agree - that the predicaments of Indian traffic would have been easier to overcome if they had been confined to just one or two segments.

In reality, every segment is to blame: the bigger, bulky intimidating vehicles, the zig-zagging two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws, slow-moving bullock carts and cycle rickshaws, stray cows and dogs, poor quality roads and equally pathetic condition of vehicles, corruption in issue of licences, uncommitted traffic policemen, disregard for pedestrians and cyclists, lack of respect for traffic rules, and the lack of quick medical care when accidents occur.

Vast stretches lack pavements on which people can walk, forcing them to spill on to the roads for no fault of theirs.

A Western diplomat here remarked: 'I am not appalled by the number of road accidents in Delhi. I am amazed why many more accidents don't occur despite such rampant indiscipline!'

It is no wonder that Manmohan Singh, a genteel politician, aired his frustration when he inaugurated an expressway in Bangalore over the weekend.

'I think we must ask ourselves: Why can't we be more polite to each other, more caring of each other, more respectful of each other,' he asked. 'Good road manners and adherence to road discipline are equally important.'

'It is a very positive sign that the prime minister has raised the issue of traffic situation,' said Qamar Ahmed, a joint commissioner in charge of the Delhi Police traffic wing. 'We welcome it. But looking at the behaviour of our road users, the situation cannot be changed overnight.'

He admits he has no holistic answers. 'We are working on managing traffic at busy cross-sections more efficiently and checking traffic rule violations more effectively.'

According to Delhi Police, about six million violations of traffic rules were registered in the past three years and over 9,000 accidents take place in Delhi every year. With about 4.5 million vehicles registered in Delhi and thousands from neighbouring states passing through it, the figures are not frightening.

And for every accident, two probably don't get reported.

Says Sharfuddin, director of the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE): 'The traffic police and other authorities alone cannot be blamed for the mess. Society as a whole has to share the responsibility.

'The prime minister's comments highlight the need to create awareness among road users. We have neglected this aspect in our traffic management. There is hardly any focused effort on this.

'The authorities should earmark around five percent of the total transport budget on creating awareness and imparting education to the public. We may have a great cultural heritage but when it comes to road driving we are a poor country,' he said.

Some people feel that more flyovers will solve Delhi's traffic problems, No, asserts CRRI's Gangopadhyaya.

'Flyovers planned in a piecemeal manner just won't work. They add to confusion and chaos,' he said.

Ashwini Kumar, who moved into New Delhi six months ago, said that the prime minister's public concern should be an eye opener.

'I see a lot of drivers jumping traffic signals at will. This is deplorable,' said Kumar, who is from Chandigarh. But even that city, like much of India, is not immune to indiscipline on the roads.

By: Not Available
Date: Jun 27, 2006
Source: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/
article_1175917.php/Indias_unruly_roads_What_is_to_be_done

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