Some planning and a lot paint and pain - First step towards regulating Indian Traffic

I look out of an A320's window, looking at the beautiful city lights of Chennai. The airplane slowly gdes over from the Bay of Bengal over the Marina, cross over the arterial roads of Chennai, flies over the butterfly shaped Kathipara fly-over

and lands at the Chennai International Airport with a gentle thud. An announcement goes from the flight attendant mentioning the local time, temperature and instructions to passengers about immigration details. The seat belt sign switches off and the subtle race to the immigration counter begins among passengers. In less than an hour, I find myself hauling my luggage onto the trolley, which I realize, has only three wheels moving.

I scan through the faces at the airport to spot anyone familiar. Alas, I have to be on my own for the next hour too. I find many taxi drivers vying to get my attention. It is somewhat similar to what our politicians do while they visit homes to garner support for the upcoming assembly elections. After multiplying the taxi driver's quote for the drive home by 0.75, I start my bargaining from 0.50 of the quoted amount until we both agree at 0.75 time the initial quote by the taxi diver.

Once this ritual is done, the baggage finds its place in trunk of the car, and I in the front seat of the car. I do that because, since childhood I loved to be as close as possible to the driver's seat, be it a bus or a car. My hands pull the retractable seat belt (only to find that it's retractability is now a thing of the past) and buckle it. "Athu ellam thevai ille sir. Night thaane....policekaaran kanduka maatan" comforts my taxi driver. He tells me that I need not wear the seat belt now as it was late in the night and the cops would not mind even if one does not wear his or her seat belt. I chose to keep it on. Thankfully I did.

As the taxi raced through NH-45 which connects the southern districts of Tamil Nadu to its capital, I found myself searching for a brake pedal to reduce the taxi's speed. No! Was it the speed? No. It wasn't. I have driven my Getz in Brunei at speeds slightly above 100 kmph. It was not about the speed. It was about how he navigated through traffic, treating dogs, scooters,  cars and pedestrians alike. For him, all the above were just obstacles between his current ride and the next one waiting at the airport. So, he continued his obstacle course while I held on to my life, pressing an imaginary brake pedal. When I reached home and described this experience, people at home proudly exclaimed - Welcome to India Bro!

Since that day, I wonder why India cannot have disciplined drivers. Is something wrong with our people, that they are always in a rush; or is it something wrong with our 'system' that is not able to streamline things and make it work the way it should be.

Ask either parties, and they blame each other. And the truth is - Yes, both the system and its people successfully contribute to the pandemonium on Indian roads.

The Two-Wheelers

Let's start with the commoner. Yes, I am a part of this crowd - the motorcyclist. He has the machine which is the most efficient, not only in terms of fuel efficiency, but also in terms of distance traveled to time taken ratio. No matter how crowded the roads are, He can zip through the BMW GTs and Merc AMGs and reach his workspot earlier than his boss. And while doing so, he does not care which lane he is on, and which lane he will be in the next few seconds (He asks me, "Where are the lanes?"). It all depends on where the gap lies, and you will find him (and a fellow motorist who shares his story) filling it as naturally as how water gushes down a stream. 

He does not care which driver had a panic attack as he probably severed in front of the car barely missing the bumper. He can do more. When the road is choked, I take to the pavements.
He honks and makes pedestrians wonder if they should be walking on pavements or they should climb trees.

If someone does not move, he 'gently nudges' them till it painfully hurts and they let him pass. He decides which traffic signals are important and should be obeyed and which should be ignored. For him, Stop line is for the vehicles which queue up behind him. And by doing all this, he reaches in time. It gives him such an adrenaline rush that he never has to play any adventure sport in his life. It also gives him the feeling that he is working harder for his family and for his boss. He is completely convinced : this is the way to drive, and in his mind, HE IS RIGHT.

The Share-Autos and Taxis

They are on a league of their own. They have their own ways of driving, which would not follow any single country's style. They travel at full speed and stop when you hardly expect them to. And they stop in the middle of the road, or would turn without any indication. They could butt into free flowing traffic when they decide to continue their journey after picking up or dropping off one of their customers. If they want to change lanes, neither do they turn on the indicator nor show hand signals; instead, they poke their vehicle's noses between two vehicles in a manner that threatens people on the road. And they are in...in the lane they wanted to be in...and they would pick another spot to change back into the lane whey were in a few seconds later.

The vehicles are over-crowded, with passengers knees jutting outside the vehicles.

These passengers reaching home as one piece makes me believe God works miracles every day.

The Transport Buses

These are the Godzilla's of Chennai Traffic. They bully, and are the last to get bullied. So, they have their way - Always. This sometimes leaves others with no way, and get stranded. All Fridays, and any Festive days are days of torment.

The transport buses queue up in threes to pick up their prospective customers and would not budge until their buses are full. The fastest cars idle on the roads until the Godzillas decide that they have had their fill.

The Pedestrians

The pedestrians are not innocent either.

The young have so much energy that they can jump over medians and cross roads amidst full traffic. The old people are left behind at the mercy of these unruly drivers. In India, you are blessed if your old parent can safely return home without being brushed aside or knocked over by these impatient drivers. 

The Cops

They check driving licenses, insurance papers, pollution control certificates, and the blue card (RC book). They do not curtail people - driving in the wrong direction; not stoping at traffic lights; who ride rash; who don't stay in line to take a U turn; and who drive away from bars. In short, the rules are on the books. Enforcement is less.

In many situations, it appears as though they are not interested in enforcing rules; in certain other cases it is evident that they don't have enough manpower. It is also clear that people have come to understand that a few bucks to the cops, as a fine or otherwise would let them go scott-free even if they have not followed road rules.

There are also situations and places where signals don't work or are redundant, lanes and stop lines are not visible, and road signs are too small to be visible from all lanes.

What to do?

If you feel you are affected by all this and you feel that it is high time something has to be done regarding this, here's my suggestion. You! Yes, You follow lane discipline - Yes, irrespective of the fact that others are following it or not. If you are a pedestrian, walk on the pavement facing the oncoming traffic. Do not budge when two-wheelers nudge you. Sternly show them their place on the road. If you ride a two-wheeler, stop before the stop line. If you drive a car, stand in a single file while taking a U-turn.

If you are a cop, go home, read the rule book, and enforce all rules you find in them without hesitation.

If you are a top-cop or if you are in the PWD,
a bit of planning and a lot of paint (lanes) and with a lot of pain (law-enforcement), we can achieve traffic-discipline not just in our city, but in all cities of this country. 

Please spread the awareness. Make the need to be felt. Everyone wants a better country. Everyone wants safer roads. Then, everyone should work towards it. Let it start from the one who is reading this blog!