Traffic in Smart City: Sadakchhap Act

This morning i got into an argument with a random stranger on the road. I usually don't do that - being a non-confrontational person. I was crossing the road at Santosh hall, Singhgad road and one fellow on a motorcycle while jumping the red signal, almost ran me over! I raised my hand - half to stop him and half to slap him - as he rode past me without me even touching him. Luckily, his ego got bruised that someone actually raised hand at him and he came back to 'teach me a lesson'. During the argument he was more interested in invoking my mother and sister & how i dared to raise my hand, instead of talking about how he broke the signal, and ran over a pedestrian. This went on for 60 seconds - the time he would have spent at the signal anyway! 

While walking home i thought of usual traffic nuisances and solutions to some of them. Do add more... Since 100 cities are gunning for the funds of Smart City, it affects us all!! Proposing the Sadakchhap Act - 


a. Signals. We are IT power, aren't we? Most XII class students want to be engineers. Let us use that brain power to design more efficient signal systems. I hate those who break signals as much as i hate jaywalkers. Probably i hate the motorists more. We have surplus CCTV cameras. Let us get those with good resolution and start sending challans to offenders. They better pay up, or they have to pay interest on the fine. Better still, confiscate their vehicle. 

b. Public transport. Clearly it is not possible to have public transport that is not crowded. At least in peak hours. But surely school buses, buses of IT companies can be hired by the municipal corporation for peak hours. If there is a will, there is a way. 


c. Cant say enough about signals... Those who speed at yellow light can get away with a penalty. But those who run red lights, should be fined heavily. As much as drunk driving. 


d. Pedestrians safety. At all signals there should be a 20-30 sec green only for pedestrians. All vehicular traffic should stop and only those crossing roads should be allowed for these 20-30 secs. 


e. Jaywalkers. Indians love the road. We have collective sub-conscious memories of walking on the roads in villages and towns where we come from. We love the road so much that even if there is a footpath, we prefer to walk *on* the road. Should those who walk on roads when there are footpaths, be penalised? Nominally? Especially those who walk on roads where ramps are made, or those jumping over dividers. 


f. Footpath reclaim. First the municipality must gain control over the footpaths. Shops, squatters, large dustbins and about to be legalised shanties - all should be removed. Find them another place to do their business. But please free up the footpath. And then penalise pedestrians who still walk on the roads, even after footpath is provided. 

g. The zebra crossing is extension of the footpath. The motorists who are in a hurry and inch ahead little by little, so much that they are almost half way to the signal point, should be charged with Impatience Fine. I think its the curse of the Middle class. We have this in born thing of moving ahead in our lives, that we try that at signals too... How much time do you save by jumping a signal of 45 seconds??


h. Blocks. Let all the delivery tempos, vans, trucks be on the roads from 12 midnight to 6am. They park on roads and take forever to deliver goods, colas, supplies to the retail shops - blocking the traffic on our narrow roads. This will inconvenience a minuscule part of the population, but will make it a lot easier on those who travel on those roads.


i. Parking. I am undecided on the solution for chaos of parking. One drastic solution is, if the buyer doesn't have parking space at home, do not sell the vehicle! The loans have made it so easy, that some homes have 3-4 vehicles without even one allotted parking.  


j. Certain key signals should be 24 hours. And those ones should be followed day and night. 


k. Potholes. The road contractor has to be accountable for the quality of the road. The tender needs to have a guarantee of 20 years without repair. No riders. If there is untimely damage, the contract money should be taken back. 
Well, there's another way to deal with it... I have heard story of activists from a far-right political party in Maharashtra taking the road contractor to a newly laid road and slapping him with chappal for every pothole on the road. Perhaps this should be introduced too, along with the municipal guys who approve payments for shoddy jobs.

l. Leftists: Just like the confused Left of our country, everyone on the road is a confused leftist too. Have you seen people at a traffic signal wanting to go straight, but veering towards the left? And blocking the free left turn? And then giving looks when you honk at them to make way for a free left turn that you will miss because of them blocking the way? Ya, those ones. 

Sometimes i wish to buy a run down Ambassador car, fit a good quality safety harness for the driver, fix good quality guard in the front, and start ramming traffic offenders. Such is the level of road rage that sometimes i carry it to work / home. I do understand that lot of things from the Sadakchhap act are too unrealistic. But we need them - for 10 years, so the next generation doesnt make the same mistakes... 


I hope someone in power takes notice of the proposed plans. And most certainly hope they do introduce a more robust version of this and implement it immediately - before we create an even bigger mess!!