Rush Hour

Rush Hour traffic, is a nigthmare for every denizen of this bustling metropolis. Bumper to bumper, we move every morning; a distance of 5 kms from my home to office takes me no less than 30-45mins.
On an average 100 cars are added every day to the city's clogged roads.Now compare that with the growth of infrastructure to run these cars on-none whatsoever. If you would let Chief Minister Gogoi have it his way, he would just connect the parts between the flyovers with new flyovers; because that according to him is a symbol of progress and development. And in his peculiar way, that is the panacea for traffic woes. Till recent past, the GMDA or Guwahati Metropolitian Development, was being handled by Congress poster boy, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. He took over GMDA amidst much fanfare and literally hammered his presence.He also started the system of parking fee collection on all the road sides. Thus, started a new era of parking management in Guwahati; pay for the spot where you earlier parked for free; it made no difference to the traffic scene, but definitely made a few pockets heavier.
Traffic congestion is a modern day reality and has to accepted. But if vehicles regularly come to a standstill, then, there is a issue that needs attention. What bothers me, and for that matter most people, I guess is the unpredictability of the traffic. To address the issue, it is imperative that a detailed study is conducted, by the government,so that long term steps can be taken to address the problem of traffic congestion. It is only going to get worse as the days progress.
My belief is that if public transportation is improved, more people would be inclined to use them, rather than taking their own vehicles out. Buses are the most commonly used public transport in the city; they should be compact, which would enable the easy movement in our narrow roads. Humungous buses like the erstwhile ASTC buses and present day Jnurm buses are not suitable for our roads. Bus Stops should be used for the purpose it was originally designed-embarkation and disembarkation; not to serve as a free stall for betel-nut and gutkha shops. In Guwahati, Buses stop at the wave of a hand or fancy of the driver; this is blasphemous to say the least! Buses,at no condition, should stop in between stops. A controlled number of city buses should be allowed to ply at regular intervals. What we see, today, is a race amidst drivers, which not only creates chaos in traffic but also endangers life of others. It is a common sight to see 3-4 buses,waiting at an empty bus stand,whirring their engines, ready to race. The moment one starts, the others race along. What would be more practical, I believe, if we have a bus at regular intervals depending on the route; not only will there be no congestion around bustops, but also convenient for passengers.
Auto Rickshaws are the lifeline of most Indian cities. In Guwahati, Autos are almost revered to legendary status, with Dr Hazarika's immortal song "moi autorickshaw solao". Well, besides the romanticism attached with it in the seventies and eighties, Auto services, in Guwahati, are the worst in the country. It still remains a mystery to me and I guess many others how autos are not mandatorily running on meters. It is imposssible for a middle class citizen to use the auto on a regular basis in Guwahati. The irony being,it was supposed to be a transport medium for them. Autos,in Guwahati, prefer to remain in stands, rather than on the road; after all in Assam we all have a stand on everything. Idealism is good, but a farce if not backed by action. If we talk about Autos being a source of employment for the unemployed, then they should be plying on the roads rather than standing on the roads and cluttering it. Autos must run on meters; there can be no two ways about it. Its simple economics, when prices will go down, volume will increase; impact on net earning is definitely going to be positive.
Today,we have a relatively, newer mode of public transprt popularly called Trekker. Trekker services need to be allowed on only certain routes where other modes of transportation are not economically feasible. At this juncture, it would be pertinent to add that Trekkers are notorious for their recklessness. It is time this issue is addressed with the seriousness it deserves. Already many people have been seriously injured and killed beacause of Trekker mishaps. Stricter guidelines and their implementation is necessary in this context.
Rickshaws cannot be allowed on main roads. It was possible a decade back. But with today's traffic it is really impractical. They slow down the traffic and very often,bereft of any traffic understanding, cause serious accidents.
School buses should be made mandatory for all students, unless of course you are walking to and fro. The most alarming traffic snarls are caused in front of schools. A good efficient school bus system can go a long way in reducing traffic congestion in and around schools.
There are many things that we can contribute from our part. Using car pools, walking short distances, avoiding haphazard and double parking, adherance to traffic signals and rules are just a few of them.
As I stated earlier, traffic congestion is a universal problem. Combating it requires a planned, sincere and systematic approach. It is important that the ministry concerned should formulate a long term plan, so that the issue can be intelligently addressed.