POT-HOLED TO DEATH

Work hard and you will reach the road of success. Good!! But, don’t reach the roads of Bangalore ever in your life. They say that Bangalore is the silicon capital of the country and also the Garden City. I don’t question any of these tags associated with my hometown. But I have a few doubts to raise regarding the transport system of this city.

We Bangaloreans know, that traffic is a 24/7 thing. If there’s no traffic on a day, then ‘Gods must be crazy’. There are areas where there’s no traffic at all, and then there are places where we move at around 2km/hour speed. I tend to leave an hour early if my destination is via the Silk Board route. Me and brother sometimes, “where are these people headed?” But I realised, they might have the same question in their minds too. It’s easier to travel by a two-wheeler or so we thought.

Now, there’s this rule that even the pillion riders have to wear helmet for safety, else are heavily fined. My first question is, how many pillion riders die due to head injury? Is this a way to loot money from the two wheelers? Yes! Anyone who has visited Bangalore will agree with me on the point that the roads aren’t maintained and are neglected when development is concerned. Only a fortnight before the elections, the contesting candidates show their love for their home city by laying down fresh roads, that too of the lowest quality possible. Where is all our tax money going? If not for development, what is the money being used for? I’m one among the tax payer, and I deserve to question the Government as to where my money is being utilised.

Silk Board, Marathahalli, Banashankari, Majestic are few names of places you definitely wouldn’t want to enter if you’re new to the city. Nevertheless, all the other areas too are victimised by traffic. Autos are a major pain in our day to day life. They speed around and are ignorant when they have a customer, else don’t make way for the vehicles behind them. Drunk driving, speeding, wrong way driving, skipping traffic signals, ignorant driving including confusion about the route, harmful overtaking, and similar such unhealthy habits practised which lead to fatal accidents and death of many innocent lives. The Government shouldn’t employ rules like pillion riders helmet when they don’t even take speed limit rules seriously. Speeding, drunk driving, etc are causes that can be avoided by implementing strict laws and fines applied to those found guilty. Taxi drivers, auto drivers are to be fined equally in case of rash driving as they are a main cause for minor accidents.

Also, action must be taken against offences like parking in a no parking zone, causing any kind of hindrance to the flow of traffic, or similar cases. When two wheelers are to be fined, one must make sure that there are a maximum number of times that one can be fined, after which the rider’s riding license would be withheld. Does anyone know that this is already being practised? No, because the Government is being lenient in matters that require strict action and implementing rules which are of least relevance.

Practically speaking, when women are seated in the back seat of a two wheeler, how are they expected to wear a helmet? If they wear a helmet, where are they supposed to carry it once they reach their destination? If they are heavily dressed and have made their hair perfect for the day, how should they wear a helmet? How are people coming from outside Bangalore know and follow the pillion rider helmet rule? Even if they do wear a helmet, will their hands and legs be safe if they meet with an accident? Not really. And the amount of pollution, specially air pollution and noise pollution. More traffic, more air pollution and more noise pollution. The cycle will never end.

But, how many lives are going to be saved if all the pot holes of Bangalore are closed? If all the roads of Bangalore are well maintained? Will there ever exist a day in the near future where we can decide to go to a place and not worry about the traffic we would have to go through?

And they say, we are developing!