Good Motoring
Need to educate highway drivers
H. Kishie Singh

Once upon a time, long ago and far away, when the wisdom of the ancients prevailed, men were men and women were happy. Good manners, chivalry and etiquette were the order of the day. There were unwritten laws like "where there is a will, there is a way," and more important, "spare the rod and spoil the child." This last saying, having been ignored by society today, has cost mankind dearly. Use the rod judiciously and there will be no traffic violations; rape will be not be a spectator sport on Delhi streets. Our worthy ministers will not specialise in scams.

Let us consider the saying "where there is a will." Every time a driver gets into his car and gets on to the road, all he does is curse the government for lack of roads, connectivity, maintenance and everything required to get from A to B. Our very own Sheila did not want to be badnam. The Commonwealth Games were approaching and she had to make her mark in society. The most common problem that drivers on NH 1 from Chandigarh to Delhi face is that they are obliged to overtake from the left. The reason is quite simple. Most traffic, especially the heavy traffic, drives in the fast lane, leaving the other two lanes, the slower lanes, open for faster traffic.

The Delhi police has ensured that all heavy traffic is confined to the extreme left-hand lane, leaving the other two lanes for the fast-moving traffic

Some heavy traffic could be in the left-hand lane, which means a driver is constantly changing lanes. This is possibly the most dangerous driving situation. Has the NHAI made any effort to rectify this situation prevailing on NH 1 for the last 20 years? It is progressively getting worse by the minute.

In all my years of driving on NH 1, I have been stopped just once. NHAI official vehicles are parked on the sides of the road with cups of tea on the bonnets and the officers’ noses buried in newspapers. The mayhem on the roads is none of their concern. We all know that most of the driving licences can be bought. The need of the hour is to impart some knowledge to the drivers on the highway.

If the authorities have the will — and it is abundantly clear that they do not — there would be signs along the NH 1 saying "keep to the left." There would also be policemen standing on the road, directing traffic towards the left-hand lane. It would be a good beginning, and soon enough people would know where to drive.

This is what the Delhi police has accomplished. Take a look at the accompanying photograph. All heavy traffic is confined to the extreme left-hand lane, leaving the other two lanes for fast-moving traffic. It is now possible for the average driver to cruise past the lumbering behemoths at an easy 50-60 kmph. Informatively, it took the Delhi police about one year to effect what can be termed as a minor miracle. Actually, any change in traffic conditions on Indian roads for the better should be considered a miracle.

The NHAI authorities have to make a concentrated effort and the results would be there for all to see. There is another deadly plague on our roads — tailgating. Cars, of course, do this occasionally, but the worst offenders are the big bullies of the state transport buses. It happens all the time. A car in the fast lane is unable to overtake for whatever reason. A bus, headlights on, with its horn blaring, will have his front bumper a meter away from the car. In case of the car having to suddenly slow down, the bus will make mince meat of the car and its occupants.

Road signs are vital to a driver to get to his destination. In India they are given least importance. Recently, there was a rather alarming news item in Chandigarh papers. "Rs 5 crore to be spent for updating road signs in Chandigarh." They were done a couple of years ago and they were a monumental mess. They are still up on Madhya Marg and seem to be a mixture of Sudoku, a crossword puzzle, and an astrological chart.

There is a strange syndrome in our country. The man who tailors your trousers wears pyjamas. He does not know how to wear a trouser. The man who makes your shoes wears chappals. He does not know what arch support is. And the man who designs road signs probably does not even have a driving licence. This became abundantly clear with the last set of road signs that were put up in Chandigarh. Hopefully, the Rs 5 crore to be spent now will not be wasted.

Happy motoring.