Tome And Plume: Rules Of The Road In City, Talk Over Phone, Jump Traffic Lights, Hit And Run

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract. It is an accommodation of interests – On the Rule of the Road, AG Gardiner

A stout young man, gripping a mobile phone in one hand and the brake of a two-wheeler in the other and talking to his loved one, is a common sight on the roads in Bhopal.

The rules against talking over the mobile phone when one is driving a bike or a car are strict, but who bothers about traffic discipline?

Following traffic rules is a disgrace for some people, especially the youngsters. They delight in defying those rules. They hardly know their dare-devilry may send them to a palliative care unit. Even if the youngster remains unscathed, despite his unruly behaviour on the road, he has the capability to prevent fellow commuters from reaching their destinations.

It hardly occurs to them that they cannot take liberties with the rules of the road. A two-wheeler rider comes from nowhere, hits a commuter, and disappears. Even before the commuter can understand what has happened, he finds himself lying on the road. The bike is over him, and a group of good Samaritans are helping him to get up.

As the commuter tries to stand up, he finds blood stains on his legs, hands, and other parts of his body. Or, if he is unlucky enough to lose his consciousness, his fellow travellers take him to his next destination – of course a nearby hospital.

CCTV cameras are helpful to collar the person who is involved in such a hit-and-run case. By the time the policemen lay their hands on the culprit, it has been too late.

While a few smart youngsters are at liberty to break the traffic rules, the law-enforcing agencies look helpless. During Traffic Safety Week, policemen inform the public about the road safety norms, but their advice goes unheard.

Those who are in the habit of talking over the phone when driving have found a new way of escape after hitting a commuter. They run towards the opposite direction to evade CCTV cameras and the public's anger. It is a smart-Alec act, but such people may not be able to dodge a truck, a bus, or a car.

Many accidents, though most of them are minor, occur at the traffic signals in the state capital. The traffic lights are there to ensure safety, but in the City of Lakes, many people are in the habit of jumping red lights. They forget that those who are moving towards the direction of green lights may come in their way, leading to the inevitable. But then, who bothers? Everyone is in haste.

The other day, a young biker with a female pillion rider was passing by Jail Road. The driver and the pillion rider were busy taking selfies, being oblivious to the fast-moving vehicles passing by them. Anything could have happened to them within a fraction of seconds.

More dangerous are those who drive giant motorcycles. They care two hoots about the traffic rules. The city boasts about motorsports and riding culture, but professional racers participate in such activities. A common man should keep away from them, but what happens is just the opposite: often non-professionals perform bike stunts and participate in races. And we know where it leads to.

Incidents of road rage often occur. But they end in the police stations. Breaking traffic rules is but a clash of liberties and ego, a sort of intoxication. It will take us nowhere.

Arup Chakraborty