Whatever said and done Mumbai road users should be in a position to pave way for avoiding clogged streets on a regular basis and apply more restraint during festival days to make sure about the movement of traffic. In my recent visit to Singapore and Malaysia, I was flabbergasted to see the discipline in traffic and the way people follow traffic rules and remain strict while crossing roads too. When I asked a taxi driver about the traffic jam in Singapore he reiterated that it happens at times, but it is cleared within 30 seconds to one minute. For a person coming from Mumbai, the time lapse on traffic jam is heard of in any pockets of the city. By trial and error method we can give a better prospect of controlling the traffic without much fuss.
Even the car users should try pooling instead of just making the roads overcrowded by taking out their own vehicle to make it a total mess followed by frequent traffic jams. By walking across a street outside of marked cross-walks and not at a corner, and against a signal light we risk our lives. If there is vehicle traffic or clear markings of a place to cross, this is a traffic misdemeanour subject to fine, and may be contributory for negligence in the event of injury to the jay walker by a vehicle. It is better to avoid risk. My pet peeve is about the potholes in the length and breadth of Mumbai streets.
I have touched on the subject and aired my views in public forums thus getting good publicity for my write-ups. As a responsible citizen we can avoid zig zag parking and make the roads unusable for smooth flow of traffic. Instead of just overtaking from left and creating a fear among the other drivers, it is better to follow traffic guidelines overtake from right and apply the indicator in time to give correct signals instead of having a confused state of mind. At signals it is better to conserve energy rather than just rush for getting out of the traffic first through a wrong means. More than all this the road users should avoid drunk driving and as far as possible allow the seniors citizen and young boys and girls to cross the road at Zebra crossings instead of driving under tension all the time. Using mobile in a moving vehicle is dangerous and despite warnings the instructions are skipped as per convenience through rash and negligent driving.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
