Traffic Jam

Mohan Kothekar

Writer and Blogger

          At the geometric rate the world human population has upsurge and so the traffic especially vehicular traffic.  “Traffic is only one of the side effects of growth” Roy Barnes, American politician quoted way back.  The length and width of the road is almost invariable in densely populated metropolitan cities and, so, no scope of further infra-structural development.  How to cope up with the snail-paced traffic are the biggest headache and the onus on the part of the thronged city of the nations.  The number of vehicles is awfully increased and each passing day hundreds and thousands of the vehicles are appending the already existed commotion.  Well planned cities are also facing traffic choked streets analogue to unplanned without presupposition; the difference barely is in gravity.  Traffic congestion is a worldwide phenomenon.

    

         Automation and robotic have transformed the vehicle industries into 24 X 7 manufacturing hub of unlimited capacity that is catering to the ever increasing demand of the customers.  From small (Nano, Tata) to too big (Limousine, Lamborghine Aventador), thousands of car models are effortlessly acquirable in the market as per the requirement of the customer.  In the modern society motor car is a status symbol, one’s standing and reputation concerned with the society.  Banks and pecuniary institutions are avid to avail loan facility with the paltry interest, albeit luxury has emerged as a necessity, even if the traffic snarl-up at the parking lot, thus park his vehicle on the narrow road to make it narrower.  “A traffic jam is a collision between free enterprise and socialism.  Free enterprise produces automobiles faster than socialism can build roads and road capacity” Andrew J Galambos quoted.  Time and fuel consumption are the subsidiary exigencies.

           Globally, every year almost 46 million car and commercial vehicles are produced by an annual growth rate of three per cent and added in the already jam packed traffic, a marginal percent of vehicles become outdated and scrapped.  India alone produces approximately 19 million two and three wheeler vehicles every year.  About 1.24 million people are killed in a road accident globally, figures for injured reaches to 50 million annually.  Mainly males (73%) of 15 to 44 years of age are prone to road accidents.  Only 28 countries have their own road safety laws.  Major accidents are due to drinking and driving, speeding, no seat belt, child restraint and without helmet of two wheeler driving.  The world consumes 85 million barrels of oil per day; it shows the devastating greenhouse gas emission rate – especially carbon dioxide.  Of the 160 cities studied in 2013 for most traffic congestion at peak hour, Moscow stood first, followed by Istanbul; the least congested was Kansas City.  In India, Delhi is the most congested city, the next one is Bangalore.

  

         Underdeveloped and developing nations have their own grave adversaries; in underdeveloped country the travel is a tribulation with bump and bang as roads are non-existent and, in developing nation’s roads are full of potholes and pitfalls, needless to say, the vehicular traffic is beyond the human control.  Here, enactments are on paper and thus hold-up is a normal feature, with or without electronic traffic signals and police control.  William Clark already quoted that “it is going to be a traffic nightmare” and Larry King, “I am the worst person to be stuck with in a traffic jam;” thus, you become part and parcel of the traffic where time and money has no relevance.  Surprisingly, in these countries the per capita income has increased many folds, but direct and indirect tax collection has nosedived that evince the disposition of the masses; cynicism, profligacy and corruption are observed rampant.  Traffic jam resulted in to time waste, delay to reach destination, enhanced fuel consumption, increase air pollution, ageing of vehicle, health hazard of commuter driver and surrounding living individuals and collisions.

                  

         Long serpentine queue with halt and snarl, brawl and argument, rebuke and lashes, battle and conflict along with a dash and dent is a daily affair.  Natural vagaries like fog, smog, rain, snowfall, dust cloud, landslide and man-made exigency such as agitation, strike, massive accident, office hours, rush hours, procession, road blocks and festival added fuel in the already spoiled broth.  Contra-flow, bottleneck, gridlock, congestion, maintenance work resulted in the traffic halt or very slow vehicular movement.  Heroic acrobats, rule breaking mentality, road rage, temper tantrum, trailers, large size vehicles and innumerable number of two and three wheeler create havoc for the rule abiding public.  The zebra crossing concept has not been inculcated and ingrained in the mind of pedestrian of the civilized society; additional tension to the disgusted, crummy and fidget driver and traveler.  Disfigured mendicants and hawkers do their skirmish and sundry business in already crushed and congested traffic.  At many places from evening onward are supposed to be the shopping, pastime and dining hours, the whole road gets chocked illegally by the venders.

         Whether the road is one lane or sixteen lanes the narration is same only the degree differs, on the other hand, someone’s dull-witted quotation is “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”  Some manages to reach homes only past midnight.  It is estimated that due to constant congestion about one third life of a person is washed away in traffic and it lead to psychological and health hazards to commuters and motorist.  The living population (human-plants-animals) and non-living (soil-building-roads-environment) within the half or one kilometer distance from the traffic jam and congested roads are also getting affected.  A series of hazards have been identified by the researchers.  The traffic fumes contain carbon particles, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, volatile organic compound, green house gases etc that affect brain cells resulted into stress and more prone to depression, emotional, fatigue, irritation and anxiety; particle and ozone affect intelligence and memory losses and heighten the risk of Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases.  Crowding intensity raises blood pressure, musculo-skeletal disorders, lower frustration tolerance, increase hostility and anger, grumpy and worn out with little physical and emotional energy.  “Air pollution might be a risk factor for autism,” Dr Volk says, the infant health is at risk.  Attach the ear phone to cell phone and listen the music, Dhaka born commuter suggested to avoid mental stress; surf the internet, read the books, do meditation, do mobile office and household work or simply chat with fellow commuters are few more admonitions.  Sitting idle in traffic congestion is a crime against society; such individuals have less satisfaction and social support and also have negative problem solving attitude, the ultimate outcome is unnecessary shouting on spouse and children.  The worst sufferers are traffic police.  Persistent gridlock causes adverse health effect like high blood pressure that aggravates incidence of heart attack; prolong air pollution results in to chronic lung diseases like breathlessness and asthma, alterations in DNA and many more.  Thus air pollution affects health of living individuals continuously exposed to traffic snarl.

         Barbara Driver, a former mayor and Tory Councilor once said “when rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it”.  One cannot sit idle the way Barbara said when global phenomenon is becoming graver problem day in and day out.  Traffic jam could be avoided using scientific town planning methodology.  Widen the existing roads, construction of new roads lane and by-lane, better road maintenance, construction of bridges-tunnels, strengthening of public transport system, enhancement of metro and local train network, replacement of old vehicles – especially diesel models - with new, replacement of petroleum by less pollutant emitter like ethanol or alcohol base products, population control, rationing on petroleum products, ride sharing, encourage cycling, restriction on private vehicle riding, peak hour avoidance, separate cycle-bus-pedestrian lane, automatic traffic signal, construction of subway, express lane, e-toll plaza, avoid congestion of business-office-school establishment at compact place,  separate odd-even number vehicle riding days, mass education regarding traffic rules and regulations, greenery near roads, parking arrangement, scientific policing, health checkup, quick response during accidents, research on traffic management, vehicle rationing, restriction on pet and domestic animal free movements, removal of private encroachment, strict driving license rules and regulations, road space rationing, restricted driving hours, different office and school timing, traffic control using satellite technology and many more probably reduce the intensity of traffic jam.  The long term and permanent remedy over traffic jam is population control at global level.

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