By Jitendra Gaglani, Thiruvanmiyur.
The recent campaign ‘Zero is Good’ by Chennai Traffic Police has kindled the curiosity of motorists. However, discerning citizens would concur that it takes more to attain that magic figure than just responsible driving.
- Zero potholes – Chennaiites boast of living in the driest metro city, yet one spell of rain and, as if by magic, roads disappear and after a few hours reappear with a completely new face. Strangely, some potholes are the size of craters. One gets a feel of mountain biking even on plains. In contrast, roads in Bali are akin to airport runways. They make suspension on vehicles superfluous. Why not concretise the roads that are prone to frequent wear and tear? Deploy the Flying Squad road patch-up crew to fix the potholes within a few minutes after their appearance. Potholes are easier to spot than loopholes, isn’t it?
- Zero roads without footpaths – As recently as last week, an intercity bus whizzed past on the ECR barely missing my right arm by an inch. I think, more than anything else, it’s providence that saved me from a ghastly accident. The cardinal questions are, ‘Has the outlook of road development authorities widened along with the proposed widening of roads? Has the space for pedestrians been factored in?’ it’s a problem of too much walkway (at Pondy Bazaar) or too little of it (at Durgabai Deshmukh Road) where walking is a near tight-rope experience. One has to be an equilibrist to navigate ultra-narrow sidewalks. Remember, as with everything else, moderation is key.
- Zero cars on Monday – Roads during non-peak hours are no different from those during peak hours. If every Monday is declared as ‘No Cars Day’, we can give roads a respite from handling lakhs of 1600-odd kilos of eco-unfriendly vehicles. We can relive the joys of days immediately after independence when the tarmac was, thankfully, visible compared to the present where every inch of the road is occupied by slow-moving traffic. With cars off the roads, it will be easier for Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to manage traffic and undertake road repair projects.
- Zero unmarked speed breakers – It’s next to impossible to discern speed breakers, especially on dimly lit roads. Why wait for an untoward incident to paint the speedbreakers? If tons of paint can be spent beautifying the Napier’s Bridge like a chessboard, it’ll take only a fraction of it to make the speed breakers conspicuous to the young and old alike.
Zero would be better when it encapsulates a broader meaning of the term and is not merely restricted to accidents.
