India Needs Traffic Discipline.

Driving on Indian roads especially in a metropolitan city like Mumbai, is not a bliss as it would be abroad. Instead, here it is rather exhilarating, often hilarious and extremely dangerous.  Be it the rickshaw walas, the bus drivers, the bikers or Mercedes owners/drivers all drive like mad men on the loose.  The need for speed, adventure and excitement reflects the fast pace of the city life of Mumbai.  When I was in school I was taught about traffic signals-The different colours and their significance. Where has all the schooling disappeared? Well read, educated individuals lack traffic discipline, not just the poor, uneducated class. Every so often I find a vehicle jumping the red signal, inspiring a few others to do so as well. And the poor fellow who is waiting patiently for the signal to turn green is yelled upon by others behind him! Breaking the signal is just one part. It is not uncommon to see vehicles driving in the wrong direction, or entering a one-way street, in order to avoid taking the longer route. And if you are on a narrow street… good luck then, because you are going to be stuck for a long time.  The buses add to chaos by halting right in the middle of the road as there is no space for them at the bus stops due to illegal parking near the bus stops . Parking is another major issue in a city like Mumbai. On top of this, there is no lane discipline among Indian drivers. Buses and other heavy vehicles are supposed to be on the left side of the roads but here it is the other way round.

We cannot just blame the drivers. We have undisciplined pedestrians as well. Pedestrians using mobile phones on the roads are in danger of not being alert of the traffic and their surroundings. Moreover we never find pedestrians walking on footpaths. Well actually in their defense, majority of the times footpaths are occupied by hawkers and illegal extensions of the shops. But in places where they aren't, people are found walking on the roads with head phones plugged in their ears. Singing and grooving to songs, as though in a park!

So what is the solution here? What should be done to put an end to this mayhem? Penalizing drivers immediately as they do in most western countries and then confiscating their license? Or stringent licensing rule? Actually, I doubt better road transport and services would help tackle this mammoth problem. It is sad that 12.5% of road fatalities in the world occur in India. 90% of which are due to human errors. People do not follow basic traffic etiquette. Almost everyone violates traffic norms. What does it have to say about the nature and values of Indians? “A wise man once said that the character of a nation can be judged by how its people drive on the streets”. Hmm….