Whoa, exhortations against aggressive driving!
New signs have sprung up around the city, exhorting the good citizens of Chennai not to drive aggressively. That’s all very well, but one could see by the way the traffic was moving right in front of the signs, it didn’t seem to have any effect!
Someone put it across very accurately and succinctly the other day: what’s the difference between the traffic rules, say in the US, and here? None! The difference is that traffic rules are enforced there, and not enforced here!
When are the traffic police ever going to wake up to this reality?
Catching some youth riding like maniacs over the weekend is good, but what about the maniacs on the roads everyday? Water tankers, buses, share taxis, LCVs, autos, and oh yes, the many office goers who don’t say anything to their careless drivers. As well as the speed demons who drive their own cars!
Putting up signs saying don’t drive aggressively is not going to make a difference, although it may be a start. Booking people for breaking traffic rules is the only time we’ll see some order on the roads.
Hope someone from the traffic police reads Chennai Metblogs!
I saw another y’day, it read “Stop fiddling with your radio and concentrate on your driving”…sounded kewl
No one seems to acknowledge that observing lane discipline requires that lanes are clearly marked on the roadway. I can’t think of too many roads in Chennai where they are clearly marked.
Tom – your remark reminds me of one marking that was tried on Poonamallee Road near Arumbakkam. The road is quite narrow at that point and the corporation tried to make it a two-lane road separating two-wheelers from the four-wheelers. It was total chaos when people tried to follow the markings because it was a bad idea on that road.