On Tuesday evening I was at Ganga Ram Hospital. As soon as I reached near the canteen, I saw a car honking for at least 40-45 seconds creating noise pollution. I don’t know how these people get licence to drive. Even if they don’t know rules, at least for the sake of humility, they shouldn’t honk outside a hospital. And the trivial reason for which he was honking was that his folks were standing just five feet away from the car and looking on the other side. He kept on honking until and unless the Delhi Police constable asked him to stop and gave a good piece of mind. However, I think such people should be challenged for the act of nuisance they create.

When I spoke to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic/VIP) H.M. Meena, he said, “Delhi Traffic Police in fact have complaint cards where one can write a complaint and submit it to us. We act on it and send notices for the violation. These complaint cards have been distributed in all pre-paid booths and around hospitals where we have booths also. I have taken notice of Ganga Ram hospital and now will get these cards distributed there.”

Meanwhile I read an interesting news item. I thought I’ll share it with you. I wish it were implemented in Delhi then all the traffic problems would have been solved.
According to the news report Filipinos who walk in the street or cross the road illegally (jaywalkers) will no longer get a slap on the wrist. Instead, they risk a smack with a wet blanket.

According to a traffic enforcement commander of Manila, “We've tried talking to pedestrians, asking them to walk on the sidewalks, but it wasn't effective.”
Under the new campaign, about 20 trucks patrol the city with wooden poles attached to damp blankets emblazoned with the warning: "No walking or standing in the streets". People who don't step back onto the kerb are in for a rude shock.

In the past, offenders who blocked the road while waiting for public transport were fined, jailed, told to do community service or made to sing the national anthem in public. Just think if Delhi Traffic Police takes even one such decision, half of the problem will be over.

Apart from managing traffic on Delhi roads and booking violators, the Delhi Traffic Police plays a major role in educating road users too. The cops feel that road accidents are the result of lack of awareness and attitudinal problems of road users. Most of the road users are ignorant of road signs and markings, have least knowledge about defensive driving tactics and are inconsiderate to users. The Road Safety cell of the Delhi Traffic Police conducts educational and awareness programmes among al category of road users including commercial vehicle drivers and school children.

Besides Road Safety Cell, the field staff including Traffic Inspectors and Zonal Officers posted in different traffic circles also organise safety awareness programmes for children. Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Qamar Ahmed in his annual report informed that 1315 schools were covered by Road Safety Cell and field staff last year under this programme. Besides the Delhi Traffic Police’s Traffic Training Parks had visitors from 593 schools.

The Road Safety Cell has also designed and prepared a textbook for school children falling in the age group of 12-16 years covering topics on road safety norms to be followed while on roads for school children. They have proposed to make ‘Road Safety’ a compulsory subject up to class X.

I truly support this call by the traffic cops. Road Safety should be made a compulsory subject in the school. Rather than forcing people to follow traffic rules, if the habit of following traffic rules is inculcated in children right from the beginning only, they will emerge much better citizens.

I received a mail from Anil Sood who says, “The statement of the Transport Commissioner who is considered to be an intelligent officer that he is of the view to increase the speed limit from 50 to 60 and above in view of the new models of high speed cars including Marutis.

“It appears that the Commissioner Transport has forgotten one fact that the Transport Department in one year has booked only 151 cases of Rash and Negligent driving and there are no cases of Minor driving in Delhi (Source Delhi Right to Information) where as very often Media reports many accidents that are caused due to rash and negligent driving of new high speed cars.

“The blue line buses though supposed to have speed governors as per direction dated 20th November 1997, 10th & 16th December 1997 by the Apex Court continue to ply at speed much beyond 40 and flout the law with impunity creating panic on the roads. The Transport Department continues to watch such accidents helplessly without taking any deterrent action. The death toll on the roads of Delhi continues to go up. Who cares?

“It is suggested that the Transport Commissioner should first sit with Joint Commissioner (Traffic) and assess the damage that is caused by rash and negligent driving of cars, buses and trucks and also should meet the dependants of the victims before making such public announcements.”

Recently I met the Commissioner Transport Rajeev Talwar in a press conference. No doubt he is a very intelligent person and a great thinker and planner. The best part about him is that when he talks about infrastructure and planning, he doesn’t forget to talk about economics too. He told us that whenever they launch a drive to catch offenders who break rules of the road, they do it in consultation with Delhi Traffic Police.

Presently Delhi Transport department is solely catching autorickshaw drivers who take Delhiites for ride. He also informed that drive against polluting vehicles would continue forever. At that time he told me that for blueline buses, there’s already a drive launched by traffic police so transport department doesn’t want to prosecute buses, thus the low figures. The drive is a month old now and most Delhiites who travel by autorickshaws, can feel the difference. For the past one week, wherever I have travelled, I paid by meter. Although denial to go to a particular place is still there, but auto drivers now don’t mind taking passengers by meters, which wasn’t the case a month back. And the man behind the success of this drive, apart from the commissioner who entrusted the job to him, is Transport department’s Deputy Commissioner S.S. Gill. Regarding the increasing of the speed limit, I don’t want to comment coz, neither do I have the expertise nor do I have the power to implement it. It is a contentious matter, which can be debated to no end.

The condition at Dhaula Kuan has improved a lot especially at the point where NH8 starts. Due to the traffic signal at NH8-Station Road T-junction, which is barely few hundred metres from the Dhaula Kuan flyover, there used to be huge jams on this road. The National Highway Authority of India and Delhi Traffic Police have chalked out a good plan to decongest the place. According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Qamar Ahmed, “NHAI is making separate lanes on the left hand side of NH8 at Dhaula Kuan flyover opposite Defence Services Officers Institute for inter-state as well as local buses to decongest the place. Now on the main carriageway traffic won’t be disturbed due to halting buses.”

This is one good step that the NHAI and traffic police have taken to decongest the carriageway. And one can see lot of traffic cops manning the stretch. Due to the visibility of traffic cops, the buses don’t prolong their halt, which keeps the traffic moving here. Although the pedestrian-spill over on the main road is still existing but it is comparatively less.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Road Traffic Education has conferred the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award to Delhi Traffic Police for the year 2004 in recognition of the profound contribution towards development of road safety.

The award is conferred on state police forces, transport departments and municipal departments for extra ordinary contribution to infrastructure development for traffic management and road safety. Similarly the award is conferred on officers of police, transport and municipal departments, who in individual capacity make contribution in traffic management and road safety.

Windshield Experts, the pioneer in car windshields, have prepared a useful mnemonic for car preparation with WET FOG. This reminds car owners that another good way to reduce risk is to allow extra time for your journey.

As nights have gone long and days shorter, driving time these days for office goers is generally during the time when it is low visibility. This period is traditionally a peak time for car accidents. Thus the mnemonic, which will remind drivers to carry on necessary checks for their vehicles before they hit the road in this wet and foggy weather.

W is for Water: Check if windshield wash bottle is full and check antifreeze level of the radiator.
E is for Electrics: Check if all your lights work, and that any battery problems are sorted out. Carry spare bulbs.
T is for tyres: When it’s raining heavily, tyres have to displace 11 litres of water per second each! That needs tread. So change tyres at 3 mm if you can.
F is for fuel: Don’t run out! Fill –up when half empty so you’ll have enough to keep warm if stranded.
O is for oil: Don’t be dipstick! Check it regularly.
G is for glass: Keep all the car glasses clean, especially your car’s front windshield. Clean the inside of the windshield also too.