Samir Madan wrote a mail on Yahoo group of Delhi Metro. Since I am a member of the group and have access to the mails, I would like to share his mail in my column. He has raised very pertinent points.

He writes, “It is indeed disappointing to note that all of Delhi's focus on improving transport is focused largely on creation / addition of new resources. More buses, dedicated high-speed high capacity corridors, new bus routes, new flyovers, etc.

“The Metro, of course, is an exception to this rule. Better design of existing roads (read, slips roads, etc. ) grade separator flyovers for busy intersections, too, are an exception.

“But the one point that nobody wants to talk about, certainly not the government officials is better enforcement of existing traffic rules. Better-behaved and better-managed traffic might be akin to having 50% extra road capacity. Better enforcement of vehicle emission standards might reduce emissions by 30-40%, given how poorly maintained so many vehicles are?

“Of course, these are unglamorous and there are no kickbacks involved. So the Delhi authorities don't talk about it.

“Without this, CNG benefits are offset by ill-maintained diesel Sumos and Qualises; new flyovers are offset by killer bus drivers on the rampage, only to get arrested, let off and get another license from the neighbouring states. As also drivers who jump red lights, get fined, the same amount, no matter how many times they jump the signal.

“All over the developed world, traffic can get quite heavy and slow during peak commute hours, but never as dangerous and never AS STRESSFUL as Delhi, because of better enforcement. Trust me, if the cops go off the roads of America, all discipline will go out the windows. It's only the fear of punishment that keeps a large percentage of the drivers in check.

This should be the largest area of transport reform in Delhi, but unfortunately it's not, and is rarely a talking point in newspapers or even excellent forums like this one.

“That said, Mass Transit is very good for Indian cities for these reasons - abject failure of enforcement agencies. Of course, it still has to be run well, like the Delhi Metro is.”

I just hope the authorities take a note of it.

I received a mail from Arun Shaw who writes, “I am writing to you as a disturbed citizen. My office is in Connaught Place and residence at Vikaspuri. On my way back home I go via Dhaula Kuan then take the RingRoad, turn left from Brar Square to enter Delhi Cantt and then take the Hari Nagar Depot route.

“For the past few months there has been a perennial jam on this route once we take a left turn from Brar Square towards Delhi Cantt. Traffic flow is really slow from Cariappa Vihar roundabout to Kirby Place signal and from Kirby Place Signal to Signal before the start of Delhi Cantt Bridge. Even condition of traffic during peak hours at the Lajwanti Garden flyover is bad.

“There is complete chaos from 6:30 pm onwards to as late as 10:30 pm. There are long queues at the mentioned stretches. It becomes very irritating if one is going back home tired and then on top have to deal with jams, queues, aggressive and undisciplined driving.”

Well, Arun not building an underpass at Station Road-NH8 T-junction by the Delhi government has proved disastrous. In fact, even if the government had taken a decision not to make an underpass, they should have promptly built a flyover with loops at Brar Square and further strengthened the road network at Delhi cantonment area. It is sheer foolishness on part of the government machinery and poor citizens have to pay for it. I just hope Delhi Traffic Police works out an amicable solution to this problem.

It seems everything was not going well in the Delhi Traffic Police department in South district. Few days before Sub Inspector (SI) Mahesh Yadav posted at Defence Colony Traffic Circle committed suicide (on last Friday), allegedly blaming his boss Amit Roy, ACP (Traffic), South district for harrasment, another unsavory incident took place. Sources say there was an ungly spat between Traffic Inspector of Defence Colony circle Neeraj Kumar and ACP Roy over the wireless set. The verbal exchange between the two were overheard by several other officials. Since Neeraj Kumar was immediate boss of Mahesh, sources say, allegation of harrassment against Roy has gained ground in the department.

It is interesting to note that Delhi Police has maintained that no suicide note was found at Yadav’s Hari Nagar residence, but official sources say that Mahesh had written a suicide note. Due to the controversial nature of the suicide note, the Delhi Police thought it best to keep it under wraps. Sources say that Mahesh, in his suicide note, heaped the entire blame on ACP (Traffic/South) Amit Roy.

Meanwhile, the Vigilance had started the enquiry into the allegations against Roy. All five traffic Inspectors of South district were asked to give their statements. Mahesh was found hanging from the ceiling fan on Friday morning at his Hari Nagar residence. His wife, Kavita, whom he married in 2000, had alleged in a written complaint to the local police that ACP used to humiliate Mahesh quite a lot. She said that ACP used to put pressure on Mahesh to raise a money everyday. She also said that Mahesh was looking visibly disturbed for the past few days and used to have long discussions about the unethical practices prevailing in the force.

There was a huge controversy regarding after this as the family members of Mahesh Yadav refused to claim the dead body. The family wanted that a case of abetment to suicide be registered against ACP Roy. Only after full assurance of a proper vigilance enquiry given by Commissioner Dr K.K. Paul on Saturday, did the family members claim the body.

It’s nice to see the Delhi Traffic Police now focussing towards truck drivers. On Friday, All India Motor Transport Association with Delhi Traffic Police organised a health check-up camp for truck drivers at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar. They even distributed 1,000 spectacles to drivers whose eyes were weak. In fact this is a welcome sign by the cops as most of the accidents in Delhi happens at night and mostly truck drivers are responsible for these accidents in some way or other.

DCP (Traffic/North) H.P.S. Virk, addressed the truck drivers and asked them to concentrate on three important aspects of driving which can considerably bring down the accident rate. First, he said, is that drivers should stick to their lanes. Secondly they should avoid overtaking from wrong side. Thirdly, they should avoid over-speeding.

I have driven a lot at night and it is a nightmare to drive between those giant trucks. Situation is worse on GT Karnal Road and even NH8 at Gurgaon border as road space is less there.

Virk also had some instructions to the owners too. Everyday there are breakdowns of trucks and trailers, which have a massive impact on traffic movement during the daytime. So he asked the owners, who were also present on the occassion, to regularly check the engine of their trucks. Tyres should be roadworthy and the owners should also take care of maintaining the body of the trucks. Owners should also direct their drivers not to carry excess load on the trailers and trucks. Virk says, “Lot of our traffic problems will be solved once these trucks are kept in fine running condition.”

On Saturday too road safety exhibition was arranged by the traffic police at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar for these drivers. I appreciate the efforts being taken to educate these drivers by traffic cops, as they are the most neglected among the lot of drivers. And it is necessary to educate them because they are the ones who virtually govern our lives. If they drive perfect, we car drivers and car passengers are safe. But if they don’t obey rules then we are gone.

ELEVATE!

If you jump from your seat when a bomb explodes on the cinema screen, this is not the place for you. But if you like butt-kicking music and shake a leg, you will get addicted to it. Elevate, definitely the best sounding nightclub in this part of the world, doesn't defy Newtonian physics, but will do a thing or two to your bod, because the music here goes into you and not just comes at you. Three levels of sonic heaven, situated five floors above the ground, and yes you have to take the elevator.

What makes this place get such puffy lines from a newspaper as blatantly trashing everything as TODAY? Well, we love that Bodysonic Buttkicker (yes, it's called that) dance floor. What on earth is a bodysonic dancefloor? Well, it's dancefloor made of really capable low-frequency speakers. The floor has 46 bass transducers capable of delivering 1,000 watts each, and each with its own power amp. So all the deep, low sound is connected to your body and every throbbing bass riff travels from your ankles, through spine, to your inner ear. It rocks.

"The wooden floor is totally isolated from the building. Had it been attached to the eight-storey mall, the whole building would've shaken," says Dave Parry, the man who set up the system and continues to be here to oversee its operation. Alternate layers of rubber and neoprene do that separation.

Parry, who sound-designed London's hip superclub Fabric, is obviously a bass-freak. The corporate head of Most Technical has put Martin Audio's WSX monster sub bass units (each with an 18-inch drive on a 7ft S-shaped folded horn) just below the DJ's high ground. Eight of them, just like Fabric. In fact Elevate came into being after Wave Cinema's Monty Chadha experienced the throbbing bass at Fabric and wanted to bring that experience to Delhi. Well, Noida is Delhi.

A hell of a shaking for the poor DJ's equipment? Not at all. The WSX monsters are directed towards the dancefloor, so that the playing DJ gets as little vibration as possible. But in a room with 120,000 watts of music, any vibration is enough to trouble the DJ console. Parry has found a cheap solution for that: the whole equipment set-up is separated from the console table by tennis balls between them.
"The tennis balls have vacuum inside them which prevents the vibrations travelling up. Otherwise the vibrations are such that it would have been impossible for DJ to play here," says Parry.

The DJ has a couple of monitors, the reference-standard Martin Audio Blackline F12s, on both sides, and Parry has designed it in a way that cancels out all noise in the DJ's own little kingdom.

There are nearly a hundred speakers in all sizes filling the three levels of the club and that's a nightmare for a sound man like Parry. When you move from one place to the other, you should get the same level and quality of sound, your position should not affect the sound you hear. So at least Martin Audio W8C compact enclosures hang in a quad array around the dancefloor. And the set up is repeated at all levels. This man sure loves Martin Audio. "It's necessary to have match speakers so that the sound they deliver stays one" in its tonal balance.

Already planning to shuttle around the world on Linkin Park's world tour, Dave is busy training an apprentice who can handle 'tough-but-easy-looking' sound system and lighting in his absence.

And he's simplified it all. All the speakers, their amps, crossovers are controlled by a Soundweb programme designed by Parry. He has also designed touch button controls and the DJ doesn't have to worry about that.

He does worry about the DJs. The best DJs from India play here and Elevate has been getting the best from West too. He is worried about the lot that plays MP3s. "MP3 format has the lowest bandwidth," he explains and its compression weaknesses, though not discernible on lesser systems, get exposed on a system designed to reproduce every note, low or high.

And like all audiophiles, this man still loves the analogue day fidelity. But in today's digital era, he has found the middle path, the best of the both worlds. He has digital amps but added analogue valves filters to them.

It'll be criminal to add it all and estimate the cost of the system. It's very, very expensive proposition. "And the experience is worth more than that," an Elevate fan in our office jumps in.

"Such exorbitant amount of investment in a nightclub in Noida is madness," says an analyst on conditions of anonymity. "Perhaps, such a club in Mumbai would have been justified. I don't know what is their revenue model?"

Elevate is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. On Friday, they play international. Saturdays, it's the popular music and that includes Bollywood remixes. "Every nightclub has to play commercial music. It is the only revenue generator," says Parry.

We recommend a Friday!

Cover charge: Rs 500 per head (reimbursed against drinks)
Timings: 10:00 pm - 4:00 am
Club capacity: Over 1800 people
ELEVATE
The Centrestage Mall
L-1 Sector 18
Noida
Tel: (From Delhi) 95-120 - 2513904