Speedbreakers to Progress
P for Paschimbanga. P for potholes. Why not P for progress or P for pride in our achievements?
But one thing is certain: P is for peculiar. Things that happen in Kolkata cannot be explained by any logical reasoning. The case in point are the so-called speedbreakers on strips that are passed off as roads. Driving on these roads are directly responsible for vehicle damage, manifold increase in fuel consumption and irrecoverable loss of precious time. A short journey of around 12 km takes more than half an hour which gives an average motorable speed of 24 km per hour. This too around 7:30 in the morning, much before the rush hour!
Somehow it never occurs to our wise police department to speed the traffic up. They do not realize that the sooner each person reaches his or her destination, the lesser will be the number of cars moving on the streets. The situation has worsened to such an extent that it takes almost 45 minutes each way traveling for a 10-minute errand. And this is a best-case scenario. On worse days, I have spent virtually the entire afternoon, i.e., almost 2 hours for the same 12 km one-way trip.
The other hurdles put up for motorists come gratis . Each time there is an accident---major or minor---we find bumps built up on the road. The reason? To slow down moving vehicles at that spot, which is marked as an accident-prone zone. The blame is always assigned by default to the car driver.
There is much talk about improving Kolkata and transforming it into the London of the east. While the idea is noble and to be applauded, the ground reality (literally) is quite opposite. The first priority for such a change is making roads motorable and pushing up the average speed of traffic.
Cars in Kolkata are comparable to the best in the world. However the quality of roads and drivers are pathetic. At present I can state from my own experience that road building skills are not available in Kolkata today. I only have to drive down the Bypass to reconfirm this. A few days ago it was just a stony track covered with mud, silt and stone chips. Now it looks like a designer quilt fit to be showcased among the avant garde fashion parades. The story within Salt Lake is even more tear-wrenching. Bumps abound everywhere. It has become practically impossible to even shift up to 3rd gear and drive evenly for any considerable distance. (The only exception is the Broadway.) Bumps with near square profile come up on the streets within residential blocks. These are well-camouflaged and impossible to spot until you trip upon them. The purpose? To reduce speeds. From perhaps 30 kmph (3rd gear) to near zero. And according to our government this is progress with a capital P.
To change Kolkata for the better, I have outlined my opinions below.
1. All roads in and around Kolkata should be like that in London. This should be true for the quality of construction as well as for surface markings, traffic signs and so on.
2. All slow-moving vehicles should either have separate channels earmarked for their exclusive use, or should be prohibited from moving on the main thoroughfares. All vehicles that have a handle to steer instead of a steering wheel should be banned from plying on the main streets. These should be restricted to secondary streets. This is important because their drivers create havoc with a slight flick of the wrist.
3. No speedbreakers should be constructed anywhere except for specified purposes such as before a railway crossing and so on.
4. Jaywalking should be restricted. Since most roads do not have pavements for pedestrians, it will be difficult to prevent jaywalking on all streets.
5. Police should be educated about their duties and groomed in techniques of interacting with people. They must be made to understand that there is no substitute for helpfulness, courtesy and sincerity.
6. Traffic restrictions need to be rationalized immediately. At present there is no rhyme or reason why some restrictions are imposed at certain places. For example, in the mornings while driving along AJC Bose Road from Rawdon Street end to Exide crossing, there is not a single place to make a U-turn. Right turns are allowed at Camac Street and Lord Sinha Road (both one-way) but woe to you if you dare to make a U-turn there. There is no oncoming traffic, and not a chance of causing a snarl, but the constable on duty will pounce on you. In the evenings you can take a right turn at the Exide crossing but cannot take a U-turn. And its pointless trying to make the policemen on duty understand. Their job, as I understand, is to penalize you, but not to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.
7. Have roundabouts or traffic intersections but not both. This peculiar experiment of having traffic signals at roundabouts have failed miserably. The roundabouts serve the purpose of merging traffic seamlessly without stopping the flow. Intersections with traffic signals alternate the flow and thus control the movement of vehicles. But both together? There are many such follies in Salt Lake and are not of much use. The major roundabout with a traffic signal is at the Science City intersection but I suppose that it is a temporary measure till the flyover becomes operational.
8. Where are the bus stops located in London? Here in Kolkata buses stop at crossings. Most of the times they stop once before the intersection and once after. The result is a long line of vehicles that form behind it and all blare away their horns at the bus driver. The bus driver however has probably become deaf and pays not a heed to the chaos he single handedly creates. In the wake of the bus, the policeman in charge of the signal happily changes it back to red and watches the fun in a detached manner. After a long wait, the bus chugs away finally when no more passengers can be persuaded to board it. Can the bus stops be moved sufficiently away from all intersections and bus drivers instructed not to waste time at intersections?
The moral of this piece is that the only feature that is visible on Kolkata streets is slowness. To achieve a reasonable level of progress and to become comparable to other great cities of the world, it is imperative to speed things up. At present, speed is derided and slowness is praised. This mindset has to change.
Accidents will happen. Most take place because of sheer carelessness and lack of sufficient skill. Average driving skill has to improve so that drivers are able to drive better without causing accidents. It cannot be a policy to slow traffic down to match the insufficient driving skills of most drivers.
To begin with, the government can take a conscious step to dismantle all speedbreakers and build good roads. This will be a rewarding first step toward progress.
But one thing is certain: P is for peculiar. Things that happen in Kolkata cannot be explained by any logical reasoning. The case in point are the so-called speedbreakers on strips that are passed off as roads. Driving on these roads are directly responsible for vehicle damage, manifold increase in fuel consumption and irrecoverable loss of precious time. A short journey of around 12 km takes more than half an hour which gives an average motorable speed of 24 km per hour. This too around 7:30 in the morning, much before the rush hour!
Somehow it never occurs to our wise police department to speed the traffic up. They do not realize that the sooner each person reaches his or her destination, the lesser will be the number of cars moving on the streets. The situation has worsened to such an extent that it takes almost 45 minutes each way traveling for a 10-minute errand. And this is a best-case scenario. On worse days, I have spent virtually the entire afternoon, i.e., almost 2 hours for the same 12 km one-way trip.
The other hurdles put up for motorists come gratis . Each time there is an accident---major or minor---we find bumps built up on the road. The reason? To slow down moving vehicles at that spot, which is marked as an accident-prone zone. The blame is always assigned by default to the car driver.
There is much talk about improving Kolkata and transforming it into the London of the east. While the idea is noble and to be applauded, the ground reality (literally) is quite opposite. The first priority for such a change is making roads motorable and pushing up the average speed of traffic.
Cars in Kolkata are comparable to the best in the world. However the quality of roads and drivers are pathetic. At present I can state from my own experience that road building skills are not available in Kolkata today. I only have to drive down the Bypass to reconfirm this. A few days ago it was just a stony track covered with mud, silt and stone chips. Now it looks like a designer quilt fit to be showcased among the avant garde fashion parades. The story within Salt Lake is even more tear-wrenching. Bumps abound everywhere. It has become practically impossible to even shift up to 3rd gear and drive evenly for any considerable distance. (The only exception is the Broadway.) Bumps with near square profile come up on the streets within residential blocks. These are well-camouflaged and impossible to spot until you trip upon them. The purpose? To reduce speeds. From perhaps 30 kmph (3rd gear) to near zero. And according to our government this is progress with a capital P.
To change Kolkata for the better, I have outlined my opinions below.
1. All roads in and around Kolkata should be like that in London. This should be true for the quality of construction as well as for surface markings, traffic signs and so on.
2. All slow-moving vehicles should either have separate channels earmarked for their exclusive use, or should be prohibited from moving on the main thoroughfares. All vehicles that have a handle to steer instead of a steering wheel should be banned from plying on the main streets. These should be restricted to secondary streets. This is important because their drivers create havoc with a slight flick of the wrist.
3. No speedbreakers should be constructed anywhere except for specified purposes such as before a railway crossing and so on.
4. Jaywalking should be restricted. Since most roads do not have pavements for pedestrians, it will be difficult to prevent jaywalking on all streets.
5. Police should be educated about their duties and groomed in techniques of interacting with people. They must be made to understand that there is no substitute for helpfulness, courtesy and sincerity.
6. Traffic restrictions need to be rationalized immediately. At present there is no rhyme or reason why some restrictions are imposed at certain places. For example, in the mornings while driving along AJC Bose Road from Rawdon Street end to Exide crossing, there is not a single place to make a U-turn. Right turns are allowed at Camac Street and Lord Sinha Road (both one-way) but woe to you if you dare to make a U-turn there. There is no oncoming traffic, and not a chance of causing a snarl, but the constable on duty will pounce on you. In the evenings you can take a right turn at the Exide crossing but cannot take a U-turn. And its pointless trying to make the policemen on duty understand. Their job, as I understand, is to penalize you, but not to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.
7. Have roundabouts or traffic intersections but not both. This peculiar experiment of having traffic signals at roundabouts have failed miserably. The roundabouts serve the purpose of merging traffic seamlessly without stopping the flow. Intersections with traffic signals alternate the flow and thus control the movement of vehicles. But both together? There are many such follies in Salt Lake and are not of much use. The major roundabout with a traffic signal is at the Science City intersection but I suppose that it is a temporary measure till the flyover becomes operational.
8. Where are the bus stops located in London? Here in Kolkata buses stop at crossings. Most of the times they stop once before the intersection and once after. The result is a long line of vehicles that form behind it and all blare away their horns at the bus driver. The bus driver however has probably become deaf and pays not a heed to the chaos he single handedly creates. In the wake of the bus, the policeman in charge of the signal happily changes it back to red and watches the fun in a detached manner. After a long wait, the bus chugs away finally when no more passengers can be persuaded to board it. Can the bus stops be moved sufficiently away from all intersections and bus drivers instructed not to waste time at intersections?
The moral of this piece is that the only feature that is visible on Kolkata streets is slowness. To achieve a reasonable level of progress and to become comparable to other great cities of the world, it is imperative to speed things up. At present, speed is derided and slowness is praised. This mindset has to change.
Accidents will happen. Most take place because of sheer carelessness and lack of sufficient skill. Average driving skill has to improve so that drivers are able to drive better without causing accidents. It cannot be a policy to slow traffic down to match the insufficient driving skills of most drivers.
To begin with, the government can take a conscious step to dismantle all speedbreakers and build good roads. This will be a rewarding first step toward progress.
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