I received a fax from U.S. Rana who writes, “This time, I invite your attention to a parapet wall on the central verge, which is made of cement mix and is about one metre high and half a kilometre long. It separates two land marks: The Chankyapuri Police station and the Indonesian Embassy on one side and upcoming Police memorial and International Youth Centre on the other side. This central verge is of no earthly use; if anything, it is a major traffic hazard. Pedestrians cross it by simply jumping over it and risking their own lives if anyone of them is hit by the fast and heavy traffic on either side. This is not all. Cyclists, scooters and even sometimes four wheelers coming out from Police Station wanting to reach Teen Murti Roundabout, go directly towards it, meeting the traffic head-on. Similar is the situation on the other side too. Something should be done immediately regarding this. I suppose seriousness of it will come to light only when, god forbid, there is a serious accident.”

Even I have noticed people jumping that central verge. I think if the motive of putting such a high central verge was to stop pedestrians from crossing the road, then the parapet should have been made taller so as to refrain people from jumping it. Although I like the idea of having a raised parapet on the central verge, because during night the driver doesn’t get disturbed by the lights of the oncoming vehicles on the other carriageway. Sometimes at night the lights just blind you.

Regarding this problem of pedestrians jumping the parapet, the authorities should take it seriously and find a solution to it. Regarding the drivers driving on the wrong side, what can one do? Delhi drivers are just a crazy bunch. They just give traffic rules a damn.

Last week was very sad for the Delhi Police. Four of their constables lost their lives within a gap of four days in different road accidents. Constable Dharmendra was posted in Old Police Lines was coming from trans Yamuna bridge and was going towards Boulevard Road near ISBT on his motorcycle at around 7 am when he met with an accident on January 23 and succumbed to injuries.

On the same day at 8 pm Darshan Singh met with an accident at around 8 pm at Bamrauli Road near Nizampur Border. He was patrolling in the area and was posted at Police Station, Kanjhawala when an unknown vehicle hit his motorcycle. He too died on the spot.

On January 24, Constable Surinder, a rider with Delhi Traffic Police Sadar Bazaar Circle was going to take mail at Teen Murti Traffic Police Lines around 12 midnight. His front tyre of the motorcycle entered a pothole about one-and-a-half feet deep at Chitra Gupta Road and he lost his balance and met with an accident. After battling for life in hospital, he too died on January 26. Poor man, I am told that the pothole too was in the middle of the road.

On January 26, Constable Bani Singh posted at Police Station Mandawli and constable Avdesh (Police Station Parliament Street) were riding on the outer Ring Road and were supposed to report for Republic Day duty in the morning. But an unknown vehicle too hit them at around 4 am on the Outer Ring Road at Gandhi Vihar near Gopalpur. Avdesh was admitted in ICU in serious condition while Bani Singh succumbed to injuries.

I don’t know whether all were wearing helmets or not but I think something should be done to keep a check on the number of accidents at night. Road engineering can be blamed too as visibility is less on most of the roads at night.

Another thing is the Delhi Police should inculcate habit of obeying traffic rules among their junior constabulary. Most of the constables while riding a bike don’t wear helmets.

Such deaths can also be saved if housing problem of these constables can be solved. One of a senior police official told me that lot of constables stay in Nathupura as accommodation there is cheap. Just think about the fact that Avdesh, who is posted in Parliament Street Police Station, lives in Nathupura, which is so far away. I think the bosses really need to give it a serious thought in order to save their lower constabulary from such mishaps.

One Mrs Gupta called me from North Delhi saying, “I just want to apprise you of a serious problem at Kalidas Road in Gulabi Bagh. Actually there is some water work premises of Delhi Jal Board adjoining Petrol Pump on Kalidas Road. From there water continuously flows on the road because of which, the road is in a bad condition. There are lot of potholes there. We have written several letters to Delhi Jal Board but to no effect. We, as motorists, face lot of problems while driving on that road. It’s an old problem and needs an immediate solution since lot of accidents happen on this stretch.”

Again this problem is synonymous with Delhi. I have stayed for three years in Kailash Hills and never in my three years of stay, have I seen a certain stretch of road at East of Kailash C block without the presence of water. In fact I had received a letter from a resident in 2003 complaining about this problem. Such was the gravity of the situation that people staying on that road couldn’t invite guests at their place because there was lot of foul smell due to leakage in the manhole.

There’s another spot on Pusa Road right in front of the Faiz Road-Pusa Road roundabout. There also I have seen water flowing on the main road because of which there are lot of potholes. Due to DMRC working on that area, thankfully they repair those potholes immediately. I think Delhi Traffic Police should identify such points and send it to the concerned civic agencies for immediate action. They had conducted one such exercise on a massive scale last year to identify roads, which were in bad condition due to waterlogging last year during rainy season. But now I think they should repeat it periodically.

I received a fax from Dr S.K. Bhagra writes, “There should be a periodical - twice a week if not daily – inspection of bulbs put up in traffic signals. In our colony, Shalimar Bagh, at the Jhule Lal Marg T-point near BN (Poorvi) Block, the green signal bulbs are fused for the last one and a half months. With the result there are lot of traffic jams at this point causing chaos.”

Dr Bhagra, the problem of fused traffic lights is not only at Shalimar Bagh, but also at lot of other places in Delhi. I agree Delhi traffic police should be vigilant enough to check them but here I would again say Delhi drivers are also at fault. They know that a particular light is not working; still they will take advantage of it and will jump the red light signal on the pretext that ‘I thought that all the lights are not working’.

I think this attitude should change. Lot of times I have seen people complaining about the notices sent by cops saying that ‘I have been fined for stopping ahead the STOP line, whereas there’s no stop line painted there’. I don’t know why people have such an attitude. There can be several reasons why the line has disappeared from the intersection, but as a good driver it doesn’t take time to make an imaginary line on the intersection on a red light and stop.

Regarding the maintenance of traffic signals I would like to tell you that the Delhi Traffic Police takes the help of two private agencies to manage traffic lights for them. When a signal is not working properly or one of its bulbs are fused, the traffic personnel informs the concerned agency which then undertakes the repairing work. Presently, there are 635 traffic signals and 489 blinkers to assist traffic police in the control and regulation of traffic. So next time if there is any traffic signal which is not working, you can just inform them by calling the 24-hour Traffic Helpline @ 23378888. The Delhi Traffic Police should also see to it that periodic inspection of traffic signals are undertaken.

I received a very compassionate mail from Sahiba Bhasin who says, “It is a real pity that on the Delhi roads I feel people do not have a heart. Every time I see an ambulance run with the light on I leave the way for it. If I am not driving then I tell my chauffer to leave the way for the ambulance immediately. But I see that the very next second the vehicle gets stuck because people do not feel the need to give way to an ambulance. For me every time I see an ambulance running I feel really bad about the traffic sense of the Delhites. I feel there should be a very-very heavy fine for not giving way to the ambulance. More than any other vehicle the fire tenders and the ambulances should be given the way.

“The other day I was at Moolchand a fire tender was rushing with the headlight on. Luckily it got the light green but soon after the Lajpat Nagar flyover it got stuck. I was a little behind and I could see from Ashram till CTC plaza, Kilokari it was stuck and could not move more than snail speed.

“Every time I see fire wagons or an ambulance I just pray to god to give life to the people they are heading for and also that some road sense should come to the Delhites at least for these delicate instances. They do not think that it could be their loved ones these essential services may be running for. And if that is not the case have some humility and help them save a few lives by letting them reach in time.”

I truly agree with you Sahiba, the way Delhiites behave on roads is absolutely unbelievable. I have noticed a few times that some drivers want to take the benefit of speeding away by just sticking their vehicles behind these essential services vehicles. Generally wherever the traffic cops are present on intersections, they help making way for such vehicles that are attending distress calls. But on the main carriageway where traffic cops are absent, it is we Delhiites who should lead the way.