Governance of Roads in India Today

On my way to work the other morning, I traveled on a part of the highway. When the car was moving on a clear road, it almost crashed into a wheel-barrow placed on the topmost lane by a sweeper who himself was just a few yards away. There was no advance warning that such a ‘barrierâ was about to come ahead (absence of systems). It wasnât obvious why such an activity cannot be done at a time which is not peak rush hour (poor systems)? Further along, a massive traffic jam had been caused by a couple of buses as they had stopped on their scheduled bus stop just ahead of the traffic light; it wasnât clear why bus stops cannot be further away from road junctions and traffic lights (poorsystems)?

When the car stopped at the next traffic light, there was no vehicle on the cross-road; why so much additional time was built into that light system(because no one had tried to revise the system after density of traffic had changed significantly over the past five years)? Bored of waiting for the green light, a public transport bus ‘jumpedâ the red light; everyone else followed suit. Most aggressive in jumping red lights were all public vehicles—bus, lorry, tempo, three-wheeler, taxi. Shouldnât those who make their livelihood by driving on roads and licensed as such,  be particularly penalized for violating the rules of their profession (inadequate targeting of regulation)?

As the journey continued, the car started bumping due to huge pot-holes in the middle of the road (poor maintenance and construction standards weak in comparison to volume and tonnage of traffic). Then, there was a huge jam again, this time due to a small team of workers trying to repair some pot-holes (once again, blocking traffic at peak rush hour without any consideration for inconvenience to the traveller, the citizen). Surely, this repair job could have been done at a time when traffic is generally less?

The next stretch of the road was a huge chaos; every conceivable form of vehicle was on the road in all different directions—four wheelers (cars, lorries, taxis, tempos, buses), three wheelers (including something called a ‘grameensevaâ (rural service) in the heart of metropolitan Delhi;( someone created  an innovativejugaad scheme to make money by politicians!), not to forget cycle rickshaws moving at snails pace; two wheelers (motorcycles and bicycles); pedestrians running around in all different directions with mobile phones attached to their ears; cows and dogs. The road was completely chaotic, and there was total indiscipline (governance of indiscipline or indiscipline of governance!).

Further ahead, a couple of cops on a motorcycle jumped the red light and neither was wearing a helmet (when regulators do not follow the rules they are supposed to regulate, why should anyone else)? Further ahead, the traffic cop standing in the middle of the road was speaking loudly on his mobile phone, eyes away from the chaos around him. Closer examination suggested that his partner cop had caught an unsuspecting tempo driver on the other side of the road to extract some festival gift (classic corruption).

A honking police van crossed the car from the wrong side of the road. All hell let loose, and everyone started driving on the wrong side of the road.As a result, traffic coming from the other side got blocked, and there was a permanent lock-jam; all sides were stuck, with literally no movement (classic prisonerâs dilemma situation where everyone tries to win, but everyone loses); those trying to move ahead by driving on the wrong side were also stranded—everyone was stranded. This situation had arisen as no one trusted anyone else, and the regulator (police van) signaled it was ok to break the rule.

At the next junction, there was Road Research Institute, set up by the government more than fifty years ago to improve conditions of the roads (and presumably traffic flow on the roads?); a classic public institution unable to fulfill its mandate—roads had potholes with traffic jams in front of its main gate (unresponsive and unaccountable public institutions).

When it looked like traffic flow had eased, along came a tractor with a huge trolley moving at snailâs pace on the main divided road of the city. The tractor was bought for rural areas, at a concessional rate of interest meant for agricultural purposes, and its driver had paid no road tax in the city. Yet, it was being ‘allowedâ to move around, causing huge distraction to the morning rush hour (pampering to various interest groups without focus on over all public good).

While navigating around the next traffic jam, the carâs back bumper was hit by a motorcycle; it sped away, without even removing the helmet and saying sorry (as citizens, we just do not care about others; social courtesies and norms in public sphere have completed broken down). A few yards ahead, a bicycle hit the rear-view mirror, and its driver just smiled; when cow hit the back door, our driver smiled.

Further away, a scuffle seemed to have broken out; someoneâs motorcycle had banged into someoneâs car; the driver of the car came out and gave a tight slap to the motorcycle driver; and, all others joined the ‘circusâ. No traffic cop was insight; traffic jam was becoming louder with honking from all sides. A few ‘good Samaritanâ came forward for peace-making (absence of governance results in conflicts amongst citizens, and the conflicts undermine governance).

This may well have been a somewhat unusual journey on Indian roads today? But, it sure had plenty of lessons about governance---good, bad and indifferent!

Rajesh Tandon