Sincerity rewards ?!

It is not an uncommon sight to see chaotic traffic situations in many cities in India. From a personal and prolonged experience of living in 3 Indian cities over the past decade and constantly visiting other cities, I can say that the traffic scenario in all is of the same colour, only the shade being different. The primary reasons attributed for such a chaotic traffic situation are : an increase in the number of cars and two-wheelers, rapidly expanding population not commensurate with the development of infrastructure (read: roads and reliable public transport systems) and general apathy of the Indian population, especially the youngsters, towards the existing public transport system and lack of funds.

Assuming such a stand, the responsible officials of our state governments have a convenient alibi, one that is evergreen for them to use for generations to come… However I beg to differ.
The usual scene at a bus stand in most cities in India is that of a throbbing crowd, bereft of shelter from rain and sun, their feet often ‘tyre fodder’ for rash drivers who in turn accuse them of occupying road space. Ever wondered what would happen if that one sincere person stood in an imaginary line behind the milling crowd? Well, his/her sincerity would be rewarded by the unruly crowd by making him/ her wait forever to board a bus of his choice.

What happens to the motorist who follows the rules? The two-wheeler who keeps to the lane on the left side meant for him/her is usually rudely whacked by an over-speeding commercial cab or many a times, even private cars. If the person’s luck is worse, then the whack is given by a bus driver instead (who, by the way, invariably stops the bus a few yards ahead of the bus stop – some kick to make commuters run to catch the bus)! What happens to the honest motorist who follows the signal, doesn’t jump a red light or refuses to cross the stop line? The motorist is subjected to a volley of the choicest abuses in the vernacular by most of the fellow road-users behind him/her, is overtaken albeit there is no space or scope for such a maneuver, abused again in the face and also made to face some jarring, honking music from the rest of the crowd behind who feel it is because of this sincere person that they have to wait a minute longer!!!! He/she also runs the risk of having his/ her toes run over by the cab that tries to overtake in the narrowest of spaces on the left side. If it’s a car waiting in the right lane, then promptly comes a bike rider who either bangs your rear view mirror (remember its pointless to even expect an apology, after all, which idiot uses rear view mirrors??) or scratches the paint on the sides to a visually telling effect.

Despite all these heroics, are a bunch of city hardened motorists who manage to keep their toes and/ or vehicles intact. However they suffer a different form of injustice. For most people who have driven/ ridden on the left side of the road in India it will not come as a surprise to see an autorikshaw/ yellow board commercial cab/ overzealous two-wheeler who drives/ rides all the way on the wrong side (right side: pun intended!) and finally makes an abrupt swerve to join the mainstream traffic as he/she approaches that part of the road/ signal which cannot be traversed from the right side. Makes most people who wait in the maddening traffic at peak hours wonder if they are indeed doing the right thing by following the rules.

As the sun sets and the evening leads to night there is scant regard for the traffic lights. The reason cited is the sparse traffic on the roads. Surely, the traffic authorities have the sense to reduce the waiting period on the signals and ensure free and safe passage to each direction of traffic flow. Nevertheless, as is always the case in India, the individual gets pride from smashing the rules to smithereens. A sincere person who halts for a red light past 9 pm runs the risk of being crashed into by the over-speeding vehicle from behind. It is a given that only flow of traffic and road space govern movement of a vehicle at a signal. The colour of the light, but obviously, bears little consequence.

The numbers of such situations are far and diverse ranging from urinating on people’s compound walls, parking right under the “no-parking” sign, breaking the queue at any waiting place, spitting in public places …. One could possible go on and on about such scenarios …

The primary cause for all this is lax implementation of rules (oh, we have so many of them) - absence of punishment – applied to all in a fair and equitable manner – whether you are the Minister or his son or his distant cousin’s daughter-in-law or a rickshaw-wallah. The rule-breaker/offender goes scot free and further rubs salt on the wounds by making the sincere person appear foolish for meticulously following the rules. Be it reaching 10 minutes earlier, or having the luxury of a convenient parking (although its illegal), not having to urinate in a stinking public toilet etc…. For now only a small consolation in the conscience of few citizens who do not wish to be a public nuisance prevents the situation from worsening. I do feel that such chaotic scenes will not see their end for some time because there is simply no reward for sincerity.
But, when there is no punishment for erring citizens, where is the room to reward such sincerity among the citizens ?