A few days ago the Chief Minister of Delhi Ms. Sheila Dikshit had stated that the people of Delhi are to be blamed for the traffic jams in the city. She isn’t entirely wrong, when she makes such statements. We all have the tendency to break the rules for our convenience whether on the road or off the road.

Traffic Jam at ITO

Don’t we break the lane system? This is one of the most common forms of traffic violations. It may also be possible that many of us don’t even know the lane system means or what the signboards on the road stand for. We just change the lanes with least respect for other vehicles on the road. We never hesitate to overtake other vehicles from left side, which is illegal too.

Don’t we block the left turn even when it’s free? It’s something which we often encounter on Delhi roads and I’m certain that it’s an experience that holds good in most other Indian cities – the pride with which drivers block the free left turn, when they have to go straight. We just block the left lane in the sake of reaching ahead of the race. But we forget that it’s a road not a racing track. It stops the flow of traffic and more & more vehicles add to the jam.

Don’t we park at the tow away zones or near red lights? On my way home from office, there is a red light in the end of Siri fort road. Almost every day, two-three cars are always parked just before the red light and it makes that road more congested. Also people block the road on the left lane even when the signal is green for left turn.

Don’t we stop or slowdown our vehicles outside worship places? I often go to my office via Lodhi Road and I always know that I will reach late on Thursdays because Sai Baba’s temple is there. We stop our vehicles outside the temple and touch the road or bow to get the blessings of baba. But it occurs to none, the inconvenience that others might experience because of this.

A two-wheeler rider outside a temple

Don’t we go towards wrong side or take illegal U-turns?

We all can contribute to reduce traffic jams by following rules. All these efforts may not solve this problem completely but it will certainly help. And no one will be able to blame us. Whenever we are stuck in a traffic jam, we should think of all those instances when we have broken these rules and contributed to Traffic Jams.

A rare sight in India, all the vehicles have stopped before the stop line

Please share your suggestions to reduce traffic jams in the comment box below.

PS: In the next part, I will try to point the areas where government is found faulty or can extend its influence to curb jams.

Photo by: locket479

The delight in Europe has a great deal to do with clean air, non-interfering people, healthy food, great shopping centers, winter style for women, etc. But one of the most important elements, lest it be forgotten, is that most of them are ‘walking cities’. Almost every city in Europe has pedestrian walks and cyclist’s lane alongside the main road. ‘Walking cities’ are easy to cover on foot, usually there is a single centre located in every city, well connected by roads and efficient public transport systems, therefore the sprawl of the city as such is hardly much.

On the other hand in the United States, especially cities like New York, the distances between two parts are vast, but these are covered by a very efficient metro system, that runs 24/7 come sleet, come snow storms, thanksgiving or Christmas. This is also true for all buses which run on schedule and make it easy for those waiting to time themselves accordingly. In New York, there exists a single swipe card which works for both bus rides and metro rides. These can be purchased for a nominal price every month/week/annual depending on needs.

Recently, Chennai, India, saw the visit of Enrique Peñalosa–former Mayor of Bogotá, who works for the institute for transportation Development and Policy. According to him, “the biggest difference between the infrastructure of an advanced and a backward state is its footpaths and not its highways. The quality of footpaths determines the quality of life in a city.”

Delhi does not have too many footpaths yet there are numerous pedestrians. There are no cyclist lanes. The roads are spacious, but they seem to be shrinking everyday. There are separate bus lanes but very often the bus systems do not keep to them. Yet, one can see stupendous efforts to make Delhi dependent on public transport. The metro construction is going on 24/7 to meet the challenge of the commonwealth games. Numerous highways/flyovers are being designed with the aim of reducing bottlenecks in key areas and wherever new roads are being built a pedestrian lane is provided. In fact, some parts of Delhi have also started the Swipe card system for buses as well. New Delhi cannot hope to become a ‘walking city’– its impossible to imagine anyone walking from South/East Delhi to the Center (Connaught Place). However, greener spaces, parks, an efficient and reliable transport system and more sidewalks will help both Delhiites and foreigners explore parts of this gorgeous city and hopefully make it a delightful experience as well.

Traffic signals are made to manage the flow of traffic and avoid accidents at intersections. If we don’t follow the right practices at the signals it could be dangerous and inconvenient. We have listed a few things which we shouldn’t do at signals.

1. Don’t jump red signal – You might feel that by jumping a red light you are saving time but you are playing with your as well as others life. It is an offence under section 119/177 MVA and the penalty amount is Rs.100/-.
2. Don’t cross the stop line – There is normally a yellow stop line before zebra crossing or red light. Never cross this stop line on red or stop signal. Stopping before stop line gives a clear view of the signals and traffic coming from the other sides. It also provides an easy way to pedestrians to cross the road. If there are no lines, stop before the traffic lights. Crossing stop line on red or stop signal is an offence under section DMVR 113/177 MVA and the penalty is Rs.100/-.
3. Don’t keep your engine running – If the stop signal is longer than 20sec, switch of the engine. Do your bit to cut down air and noise pollution and it definitely saves you some fuel.
4. Do not honk – Delhi Traffic Police has banned honking at traffic signals in the beginning of the year 2009. It increases the noise pollution. Honking at banned places is an offence under section 119/177 MVA and the penalty is Rs.100/-.
5. Don’t stand on the left lane when left turn is free – Generally people block the left lane in for the sake of going ahead. And because of that people who want to go left gets stuck even when left turn is free or left signal is green. It stops the flow of traffic.
6. Don’t ride on footpath to get ahead – footpaths are made for pedestrians to walk. We should not ride/drive our vehicles on footpath.
7. Don’t accelerate while standing – It reduces engine life and releases more CO2 in the air. It is an offence in many countries.
8. Don’t jump flashing red signal – You must stop the vehicle completely and let all other traffic and pedestrians go. Move only when the way is clear.
   
9. Don’t speed-up even signal allows to go – when you are far from the signal, slow down the vehicle even when the signal is green. It can be risky to cross the signals with high speed because of the rush. There are chances that by the time you reach the signal, it may turn to Amber and then Red.
10. Don’t park near the signal – No parking should be done on road, except when specifically permitted by a direction on a board. Don’t blame when you are stuck in traffic jam next time, some among us may have parked obstructively on the road. It is an offence under section 122/177 MVA and the penalty amount is Rs.100/-.
11. Don’t honk on breakdown vehicles – such as a two-wheeler isn’t starting. Give them time to take the vehicle aside. Unnecessary honking will just put unnecessary stress on the driver and that can take more time than normal.

Would you like to share something which can help to use signals better? Use the comment box below to share.
Links:
Delhi Traffic Police
Green Vehicle Guide
No Noise

Delhi Police – Traffic is running a campaign on pedestrian safety which was initiated on 1st June 09.  It is always safe to follow the Pedestrian Safety Tips. The tips circulated by Delhi Traffic Police for the pedestrian safety are:

• Use Zebra Crossing, Foot Over Bridge & Subways to cross the road.
• Always use footpaths and on the roads without footpath walk on your extreme right side facing the approaching traffic.
• Don’t Jump over the railings or cross in front of or between parked vehicles.
• Cross the road when the vehicles are at a safe distance.
• Never cross the road hastily by running across the road.
• Use Pelican Signals, if available. Wait for the Green Signal after pushing the pelican signal.
• Don’t cross road from Blind Corners or Turns where you are not visible to the Vehicle Drivers.
• Obey the traffic Lights like other Road Users such as vehicle drivers.

Pelican Signal at India Gate

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

]]> http://www.weconscious.com/safe-pedestrian-drive-by-delhi-traffic-police/203/feed 3 http://www.weconscious.com/menace-of-trucks-plying-within-delhi-during-the-no-entry-hours/101 http://www.weconscious.com/menace-of-trucks-plying-within-delhi-during-the-no-entry-hours/101#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:45:35 +0000 Pragnya Mohanty http://www.weconscious.info/?p=101

Commuting in Delhi, for shortest distance from Ashram to South Extension, is more terrifying than traveling longer distances out side Delhi. I live this terror at least twice daily. It is really disheartening to discovered one lane where trucks or in other words heavy vehicles ply, in another one there’s buses (I really don’t think its essential to mention here that they rarely ply in their assigned lanes), and the only left out lane has cars, mini buses, motorcycles, hand carts & all the other vehicles during the peak traffic hours like 9 am or 7:30 pm.

The EPCA report no. 27 (July 2006) in response to the Hon’ble Supreme Courts directions suggests certain solutions to avoid traffic congestion & inconvenience caused to general public. The report suggests “Entry of the heavy vehicles is to be permitted only from 11 pm to 7 am and only on selected roads. Transporter should submit a written undertaking that all trucks shall leave the area during restricted hours.”

I wish the report by EPCA & its suggestions are carried out seriously. The issue is more than the congestion & traffic jam that the general public suffers from. The issue is also related to the kind of pollution these traffic jams create & unnecessary wastage of fuel as well. With rising cost of fuel, despite the international price having come down, it pinches the pocket of general public every time they get caught in traffic jams. The trucks plying on the roads of Delhi rarely have abided the rule for pollution check as well. What’s the use of spending so much for running the CNG buses on roads when the pollution is still continuing to affect us and environment in the shape of pollution created by the TRUCKS?

Dear Authorities it’s a request on behalf of all the commuters who happen to commute during the peak hours & have to suffer due to the trucks on roads in the no-entry zones or during No entry, kindly make sure to keep the trucks off road at least during the peak hours.

Speed is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change in position, often expressed as distance traveled per unit of time. “Speed” the word itself excites the adrenaline. The word speed has quite a number of synonyms & one of them is “RASH“. Speed when comes to road can take different turns & the result is mostly destructive. The cabs on roads of Delhi ply as if the road is meant for them & them only. The traffic rule that say’s “do not drive a vehicle at a rate that exceeds the legally established maximum” is just a rule noted down in the rule book, read during the driving test & forgotten as soon stepped out with the driving license. The number of fatal incidents relating to speeding vehicles has increased in a lightning speed in last few years. Blame it again on speed!!!

Road speed limit is the maximum speed allowed by law for vehicles. Speed limits are commonly set and enforced by the legislative bodies of nations or provincial governments. The speed limit is also set as per the driving conditions like weather, time of day, area etc. Section 112 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 has set a speed limit for the vehicles plying in public places. Speed limit does not mean it’s for only maximum speed but it’s also for minimum speed. Driving at an excessive speed is punishable with fines of different variation. Also there is provision that if the owner of the vehicle or whoever is in control of the vehicle is liable to punishment in case the speeding of vehicle is at the insistence of such person, although that person is not the driver. This includes any people who has made the time table for completing a journey or part such journey, within a specified time contravening the speed limit.

The speed at which the cabbies drive carrying call center employees is something that everybody in Delhi is witness to. But the question is who is to be blamed for the rash & speed driving by the cab drivers? The owners of the speeding vehicles & the drivers are no doubt responsible, but clean chit can’t given to the call centers who hire these Cabs & provide them with a time table without considering the distance & the speed limit. Rules are applicable to those drivers who are mostly in love with “ZOOM“, in simple words “SPEED“. When we are driving our ultimate aim is to reach our destination safely. For the sake of our own pleasure or our haste to reach on time we jeopardize life of those who are innocent & have nothing to do with our obsession or our time table.

Philosophically speaking, speed can excite us & the adrenaline for some time only, but the repercussions of it can leave us with damage for life time.