ISLAMABAD: The changing moods with growing impatience, haste, arrogance and carelessness have badly affected the traffic system of Islamabad.
Despite widening of the main arteries and efforts for efficient policing, the situation is not showing much improvement.
The blowing of horns, the parking of vehicles at ‘no parking’ signs, ignoring lanes’ restrictions, violating the signals and attending mobile phone calls while driving, are the general tendencies the public in general has developed with the passage of time.
Overspeeding, wrong overtaking and snaking during rush hour often result in serious accidents. The alarming situation needs immediate attention of the authorities before the federal capital is hit by traffic chaos.
A few motorists do care for others’ rights, but the majority seems to have their own rules and priorities while driving on the roads. More often it seems that the traffic code has become some forgotten or obsolete dogma for them.
A driver when asked termed this tendency an outcome of a peculiar mindset. “Most people feel proud in violating the rules. They know that they can manage when questioned on violation”, was a comment by commuter Adnan Ahmed. “Why we tend to violate laws for personal satisfaction? Why are we drifting from ethics? From a roadside view, it seems as we are least acquainted with the traffic code”, he concluded.
“We have [a] five-lane road at each side, even then the traffic situation is pathetic”, said another motorist Dilshad Ahmed regarding the Islamabad Expressway. “For me, it is not an issue of space but better [traffic control]. We need strict legislation and its implementation”, he suggested.
“The commercial and private vehicles’ drivers and bikers of our age have developed into a careless generation when it comes to adhering [to] the laws. Moving at snail’s pace, generally they take sudden turns. Emergency brakes are also applied just about anywhere to pick up passengers”, he said and added that “Like many, most of the time they are ready to brawl, telling others to mind their own business when advised to drive carefully”.
“Mind your own business and do not teach us rules, is a common reply we receive when we remind law breakers of abiding by the rules”, said Mohammad Saleem, a businessman. “So, we have no other option but to keep silent. But, the silence on the part of [the] authorities is spoiling our overall social fibre”, he regretted.
In recent years, the bikers have gone more unruly than anybody else. Snaking through vehicles on packed roads and zigzagging discriminately in all the lanes even when the vehicles are moving at a faster pace is their peculiar mindset. They are often seen crossing cars and jeeps in the fast lane least bothered about their own as well as others’ safety.
The jaywalkers also create hazards. They seldom cross the roads from the zebra crossings or the overhead bridges. Moreover, talking on mobile phones while driving can lead to dire consequences. “We need effective implementation of the traffic laws. In many countries traffic moves smoothly even at the roads narrower than ours,” said Mohammad Rauf, an expatriate Pakistani. “When in Dubai or London, we fully abide by the laws, but when in Pakistan, sadly we feel free to violate the laws”.
Analyzing the situation from different perspectives, it seems a matter of training, legislation and implementation. Our lawmakers and the police have a major role to play to tame the unruly drivers. But the police have their own compulsions. Continuous duties, overwhelming traffic load and insufficient deployment are their common problems.
An Islamabad traffic police officer, requesting anonymity, posted at the Gulberg Greens interchange — one of the toughest challenges in the capital city in terms of regulating traffic — has said that police penalize the violators, but the public in general should also show responsible attitude. He sought attention of the administration to make the people fully abide by the laws.
Senior Superintendent of Police Rai Mazhar was not available to comment on the situation despite repeated attempts.
The situation is an eye-opener and clearly calls for effective implementation of the laws. Motorists must be imparted necessary education and officers on duty must have full support of the top administration. The authorities must also focus on better infrastructure, strict measures regarding the license-issuing mechanism and on increasing the traffic police personnel.—APP
