Traffic troubles are terrible these days as the narrow roads, mostly suitable for the city of the mid-twentieth century, often resemble the surface of the moon, what with the potholes. With the crushed stones and loose bitumen, now solidified, strewn everywhere, the roads are slippery, too. Our worst foe currently, the whiplashing rain, adds to the woes, given the gargantuan number of vehicles.
Traffic troubles are terrorising, too, what with the road rage tantrums. Per day, the papers are full of annoying anecdotes of road rage. These range from a fisticuffs fight with fellow users of the road to hitting the police officers on duty with beer bottles!
Everybody is on the edge these days, what with prolific problems at every stage, and in each department of life. The smallest affront hence is enough to spark an argument which may graduate to empty threats, finally resulting in a free for all.
Recently in the ladies special bogie of a Mumbai local, two women, extremely chic clad, fought for a seat as if they were fighting each other at the municipal tap. The other women were trying to tear them apart, but to no avail, as the viral video shows!
What could be the solution to road rage? Leave early, i suppose. It is safer to reach the destination well in advance. One can always carry a book to read, once one reaches the destined premises, a much better promise of the peace of mind, instead of the rough and tumble of getting in to an ugly road rage incident.
That is at the personal level. In my opinion, however, the real solution has to be efficient public transport system, be it bus, metro, local trains, what have you. Let us hope in this context that the Pune metro gets functional soon.
Well, cities are growing real fast today. Super spreading urbanisation, worse than the dreaded corona virus, is the reality of most all traffic systems everywhere in the world, but especially in India. Hence better parking plazas, not available in the city center, should be immediately made accessible. Co-ordinated signals at crossroads could be a solution, too. More traffic police, busy beyond the 'collector' duty, are the need of the hour, too.
As a city bloats in to a metro, following traffic rules strictly must be the road users' priority, too. Lane cutting to honking to speeding to not wearing the helmet, road users believe that roads are tracks for stunts!
Well, if urban roads are not to be the Tom and Jerry cartoon strips with both yowling at each other like cats on a hot tin roof, all, when on roads, must behave themselves, whether men and/or machines.
Pratima@ As it is, madly races the traffic. Why then the additional road rage!
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