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Close encounters of the jarring kind
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Kochi roads are not a driver's dream. They seem to be perpetually in a state of disrepair and the traffic jams upset many a commuter's schedule. P T THOMAS lays bare a motorist's feelings
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TO SAY that traffic in Kochi is hellish is an understatement. You need to perform hair- raising acts of courage and skill to come home unscathed, the paint on your fender intact.
City roads have been designed with little or no thought to increased traffic loads, soil conditions or drainage of water. And the execution seems to be deliberately poor, with the objective of ensuring chaos in one monsoon.
Look at any of the main roads. Except M.G. Road which was done properly years ago and has paid rich dividends to road users and the authorities alike, all the other roads tend to crack up with just a day's rain. A newly- resurfaced Hospital Road disappeared in two days of rain last year. It is not as if the engineers do not know; together with the contractors, they owe an explanation to common citizens like you and me on the state of the roads.
The wanton digging up of roads by various agencies- KSEB, KWA, BSNL, and the oil majors- the list grows longer with the entry of private telecom firms exacerbates this situation.
We are led to understand that many of these entities pay huge sums of money towards repairs, prior to commencing of digging to lay pipes, cables etc. Could this money have been diverted to pay salaries and the roads left to languish? Take the case of Old Thevara Road/Foreshore Road. Nearly 6 months have passed since they have been rendered unmotorable. These roads provide a viable alternative to the busy M.G. Road. Yet, no one takes any notice of the state in which this `road' is.
Likewise, if the monsoon hits Kerala on June 1, Sahodaran Ayyappan Road will be a veritable minefield by June 5. Result: traffic slows to a crawl and tempers flare.
A lot of the blame for traffic congestion, however, rests on the users themselves. Start with parking; you can see cars parked two abreast, even on arterial roads, their drivers nonchalantly surveying the bottlenecks around them.
Autos decide to park at busy junctions, to pick up or disgorge passengers. And auto- stands pop up at main junctions one fine morning. Remember the line of autos that appeared at an impromptu auto-stand at Padma junction?
Thankfully, they were removed quickly. Speaking of traffic violations, the most blatant instances take place right outside the High Court of Kerala and the Office of the City Police Commissioner. Cars are parked two and three abreast around the traffic roundabouts!
And several of the offending cars sport logos which declare the high profession of the owners, on the back windshield. If responsible sections of society behave thus, how can we expect the bus and auto drivers to obey traffic rules?
Lack of road manners start at the beginning. None of the driving schools teach road manners or road safety. All a budding driver is taught is to drive through an H forward and backward. Actual driving seems to be learnt after obtaining the licence. The RTA has not adapted one bit to the changes sweeping across the country.
Have they introduced any effort to educate the public on the rules of lane- changing in multiple- lane highways? Vehicles weave in and out of lanes in gay abandon. Similarly, indiscriminate use of the hazard-warning light as a signal that the driver is going straight is simply ridiculous. The automobile and tyre companies should come forward to educate the public on road manners. They can take slots on prime- time TV. Repeated airing of audio-visual stimuli will have greater impact than written or oral rules. Think please, gentlemen, and ladies.
One step down the road is the feeling that you own the road. This is most exhibited by the organised sector - in Kochi, read private buses. Proudly emblazoned with signs proclaiming speed limit 35 kms in the city and no overtaking allowed in the city, they race past, mowing down anything that dares to cross their paths, overtaking on the right or left, honking merrily.
No entry signs are applicable for autos. Just stand at Dwaraka junction and see the autos going the wrong way on to Warriam road, under the benevolent eye of the cop. Incidentally, a red light fitted on a vehicle grants it immediate immunity from all traffic rules. Why can't we restrict revolving lights to the Police, Fire and Emergency services?
The most populous vehicle segment is the two- wheelers. They seem to be under the impression that traffic rules are applicable only to four wheelers and above. Precariously balancing the vehicle with a wife sitting sideways and toddlers perched on crags and crannies, they are also oblivious of the dangers of riding without a helmet. Woman drivers seem to be more helmet- conscious; they're more susceptible to the mortal danger of a flapping dupatta or saree getting caught on another vehicle.
Mobile phones have cut across all barriers. We come across more cars dawdling and restricting traffic behind, all because the driver is busy on his/ her mobile phone. Personally, I don't see what all the hue and cry about listening to music is; it prevents me from falling asleep on long hauls. Moreover, the Kochi FM broadcast used to be highly informative; I learnt all the theory about milking a cow, on a drive to Tripunithura.
And finally, the pedestrians. City roads are quite narrow, without the protection of sidewalks. Many pedestrians walk fearlessly on the side, with their children on the road-ward side. These kids are susceptible to a dangerous swipe from a marauding fender. Also, pedestrians can be seen walking by the side of the median on busy roads, or crossing roads diagonally, to get faster to his destination.
The number of deaths on the road seems to move none of us.Every other day, we read of an only son or daughter cut down by a speeding vehicle. How many drivers that fled the scene have subsequently been brought to justice? Nothing seems to shake the authorities from their stupor.
The scenario on Kochi roads is unlikely to change unless we, the road- users act. Citizens' fora, corporates and authorities must act together and fast, before Kochi degenerates into another Delhi.
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