Indian film actress and the Member Parliament (MP) from Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Hema Malini met with serious accidents on the Yamuna Expressway (between Greater NOIDA and Agra) twice in less than six months. The MP expressed her concern for increasing accidents. First time her car was reported to have been going at 150 km per hour.
Concern is being expressed by traffic police and the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government as well. The government in this backward state is struggling to control the chaotic traffic, especially on Lucknow (the state capital) roads.
Unfortunately, one fact that neither Hema Malini nor the UP Government understood is the reality that accidents or traffic cannot be controlled unless the people on the road are well aware of the traffic rules and abide by them; and at the same time the executing authorities implement them strictly and impartially.
What I have noticed - and I am sure others would also have - is that the biggest violators of traffic rules are those who use powerful machines - MUVs and SUVs - which, I have no qualms in pointing out, in most cases belong to either politicians or their henchmen, relatives, other distant family members or acquaintances.
Other vehicles, which top in flouting the traffic rules, generally bear the signs, such as, 'Government of India' or 'Uttar Pradesh Government' - prominently displayed on the registration number plate - nonchalantly staring at every other vehicle belonging to lesser mortals, called 'law-abiding Indian citizen'.
These powerful vehicles are normally decorated with tiaras on their heads in the form of blue or red beacon and many of them are also equipped with sirens. Their drivers, as a rule, are rude and misbehaved goons. Sitting proudly behind the powerful steering of their huge vehicles, they carry an attitude loudly proclaiming 'I am even bigger than my boss'. They behave also in the same way.
Unruly, these drivers take it their right to park the car at any place whereever they fancy. They can take a wrong turn on any one-way street and disturb the whole traffic. They take it for granted that the road belongs to them and the ones like them. They can scare to death any pedestrian with their shrill horns and zooming speed.
Daring to challenge them is calling for serious trouble. Of course, as they are surrounded by weaponed security force - that has been provided to the politician. They can use any kind of derogatory language to threaten or scare you. The traffic cops are afraid of them as they can manipulate their transfer to some godforsaken place.
The most upsetting aspect of the issue is that many times the bureaucrat and politician keep sitting in the car when the driver is violating the traffic law. Instead of asking to driver to mend his ways, these lawmakers prefer to remain oblivious of the world outside their vehicle. They quietly become party to wrong their illiterate and uneducated driver is indulging in without foreseeing the serious repercussions of traffic violations.
Take these examples:
Being a frequent traveller to Delhi (many times by road via Yamuna Expressway) I have noticed that the speed limit for cars is 100 km/h. I maintain my speed to 100 km/h but what I witness is that many government or politicians' vehicles zoom pass me. The only sound I hear is 'vroom...' and the vehicle is out of sight. Speeding is a normal phenomenon with government or politicians' cars. The justification given by the owners of these speeding vehicles is that they are busy and are required to reach at places. So why not start early? The common man also needs to reach places in time!
Recently, the district administration in Lucknow has introduced one-way system at various places. Two days back, I was walking on one such road and a politician's vehicle tried to come on that road from the wrong side. The cop tried but not enough. The driver's big vehicle was enough to demoralise and intimidate the poor traffic cop. He let the vehicle go on the wrong side causing hazard for all the vehicles and each pedestrian.
Suggestions:
Each driver holding the powerful steering of today's fast machines should undergo extensive training (it is a fact that most of the government drivers and also politicians' drivers have never learnt driving in a proper way, and if a test is conducted for them, most will fail). These government drivers are more used to holding a whip generally used for steer a bullock cart rather than holding a power steering wheel of powerful 21st century machines zooming on roads. Along with driving they also need to learn the traffic rules and the meaning behind all those yellow and white lines on the road, which I am sure they have no clue about.
Hema Malini's car was also over-speeding. She is a literate woman. Being an MP, she is also expected to behave responsibly. Twice she met with accidents but the question is why didn't she ever scold her driver to drive safely, carefully and not crossing the speed limit?
Same suggestion goes for the government of Uttar Pradesh as well. First tame your own drivers and make sure that they do not flout any traffic rule, rather they follow the traffic law just like any other citizen. If a common man sees a politician's or bureaucrat's car being lifted from the non-parking area, or the driver being issued a challan for entering a one-way street from the wrong side or for over-speeding, he/she will never dare to violate the law.
If cops are wearing helmets (in Lucknow none of the policemen uses a helmet when riding a bike) or government drivers wear seat belts, they can set precedence for others.
As it is said: 'Children imitate their parents' or 'Practice before you preach' or 'Charity begins at home' - the politicians and government servants should lead by setting examples. The rest of the traffic will automatically fall in place.
Concern is being expressed by traffic police and the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government as well. The government in this backward state is struggling to control the chaotic traffic, especially on Lucknow (the state capital) roads.
Unfortunately, one fact that neither Hema Malini nor the UP Government understood is the reality that accidents or traffic cannot be controlled unless the people on the road are well aware of the traffic rules and abide by them; and at the same time the executing authorities implement them strictly and impartially.
What I have noticed - and I am sure others would also have - is that the biggest violators of traffic rules are those who use powerful machines - MUVs and SUVs - which, I have no qualms in pointing out, in most cases belong to either politicians or their henchmen, relatives, other distant family members or acquaintances.
Other vehicles, which top in flouting the traffic rules, generally bear the signs, such as, 'Government of India' or 'Uttar Pradesh Government' - prominently displayed on the registration number plate - nonchalantly staring at every other vehicle belonging to lesser mortals, called 'law-abiding Indian citizen'.
These powerful vehicles are normally decorated with tiaras on their heads in the form of blue or red beacon and many of them are also equipped with sirens. Their drivers, as a rule, are rude and misbehaved goons. Sitting proudly behind the powerful steering of their huge vehicles, they carry an attitude loudly proclaiming 'I am even bigger than my boss'. They behave also in the same way.
Unruly, these drivers take it their right to park the car at any place whereever they fancy. They can take a wrong turn on any one-way street and disturb the whole traffic. They take it for granted that the road belongs to them and the ones like them. They can scare to death any pedestrian with their shrill horns and zooming speed.
Daring to challenge them is calling for serious trouble. Of course, as they are surrounded by weaponed security force - that has been provided to the politician. They can use any kind of derogatory language to threaten or scare you. The traffic cops are afraid of them as they can manipulate their transfer to some godforsaken place.
The most upsetting aspect of the issue is that many times the bureaucrat and politician keep sitting in the car when the driver is violating the traffic law. Instead of asking to driver to mend his ways, these lawmakers prefer to remain oblivious of the world outside their vehicle. They quietly become party to wrong their illiterate and uneducated driver is indulging in without foreseeing the serious repercussions of traffic violations.
Take these examples:
Being a frequent traveller to Delhi (many times by road via Yamuna Expressway) I have noticed that the speed limit for cars is 100 km/h. I maintain my speed to 100 km/h but what I witness is that many government or politicians' vehicles zoom pass me. The only sound I hear is 'vroom...' and the vehicle is out of sight. Speeding is a normal phenomenon with government or politicians' cars. The justification given by the owners of these speeding vehicles is that they are busy and are required to reach at places. So why not start early? The common man also needs to reach places in time!
Recently, the district administration in Lucknow has introduced one-way system at various places. Two days back, I was walking on one such road and a politician's vehicle tried to come on that road from the wrong side. The cop tried but not enough. The driver's big vehicle was enough to demoralise and intimidate the poor traffic cop. He let the vehicle go on the wrong side causing hazard for all the vehicles and each pedestrian.
Suggestions:
Each driver holding the powerful steering of today's fast machines should undergo extensive training (it is a fact that most of the government drivers and also politicians' drivers have never learnt driving in a proper way, and if a test is conducted for them, most will fail). These government drivers are more used to holding a whip generally used for steer a bullock cart rather than holding a power steering wheel of powerful 21st century machines zooming on roads. Along with driving they also need to learn the traffic rules and the meaning behind all those yellow and white lines on the road, which I am sure they have no clue about.
Hema Malini's car was also over-speeding. She is a literate woman. Being an MP, she is also expected to behave responsibly. Twice she met with accidents but the question is why didn't she ever scold her driver to drive safely, carefully and not crossing the speed limit?
Same suggestion goes for the government of Uttar Pradesh as well. First tame your own drivers and make sure that they do not flout any traffic rule, rather they follow the traffic law just like any other citizen. If a common man sees a politician's or bureaucrat's car being lifted from the non-parking area, or the driver being issued a challan for entering a one-way street from the wrong side or for over-speeding, he/she will never dare to violate the law.
If cops are wearing helmets (in Lucknow none of the policemen uses a helmet when riding a bike) or government drivers wear seat belts, they can set precedence for others.
As it is said: 'Children imitate their parents' or 'Practice before you preach' or 'Charity begins at home' - the politicians and government servants should lead by setting examples. The rest of the traffic will automatically fall in place.
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