Here an accident; there an accident; everyday an accident, snatching away parents and turning children into orphans, wives into widows, husbands into widowers and so on it goes. Who should be blamed for such misfortunes? Roads! Contractors! Or Police?
Roads, in general, are congested by cars, buses, lorries and vans that run violently, breaking speed limit. It is dangerous for walkers, while crossing the road; some dodge the traffic and leap on the pavement even at pedestrian crossing. Often, mishaps happen. Therefore, we have to remove congestion on the roads. PWD has planned the widening of our highways into four-lane and six-lanes by chopping trees, demolishing compound wall.
On our roads, we find a real domesticated zoo: — a show to tourist that we can house-train cows, buffaloes, goats, dogs, cats, monkeys and that these animals can even decide to plonk themselves right in the centre of a busy street and act as traffic police.
Freak accidents occur every day as our narrow roads are made narrower by digging up for civic work which cause caving on smart roads; besides, creating pot holes which have sent many to cemetery holes or graves.
Everywhere auto drivers snake through thinner space on main roads and even switch lanes and speed as if the devil is after them or they after the devil. Our bullet Babus, try Bollywood stunt to impress girls on road. They whiz off over humps and bumps to show that they are macho and fearless. Vehicles crash, mishaps happen due to overtaking, moving car and busses; driving after heavy drinking and also due to stray animals. Some allege that nothing moves in RTO without ‘baksheesh’ through touts to get licence work done quicker.
Wrong parking is the habit of tourist and domestic holiday-makers. Vehicles are parked as per their whims and fancies. Parking on our roads is a Robinson Crusoe situation. Robinson was abandoned on an unknown island surrounded by water; our parked vehicles are suddenly stuck in the middle, surrounded by other vehicles. Perhaps, this is because education makes us degree holders, by stuffing information into our heads from dead books without the beautiful blend of discipline; without the attitude of understanding how someone else feels when stuck or stranded in the middle of other vehicles. Really today’s education is bereft of self-discipline and self-control.
It is alleged that the police are shameless; and accept bribes from motorists without fear. They are either inefficient to control the traffic or allow traffic violators to slip for reasons best known to them.
It looks from the condition of our motorways which are full of potholes, that break our vehicles and our bones and send many to the world of the dead; some roads even cave in. Therefore, some are forced to think that road engineers are either unqualified or are carelessly doing their job.
‘We pass through this world only once. What we do while we are here on earth becomes history for posterity after we leave this earth’. Thank God! Our good Government, as humble servants of the people, intend to implement new rules to curb these dangers — free from stray cattle, creating more vacancies and employing for more policemen to “unthread the rude eye of rebellion” as there is too much lawlessness on the roads nowadays.
