Civic Sense

“CIVIC SENSE” 

Reading the article “Towing men and their double standards” in Sunday Times (2 Feb 2008), Getting more attention from citizens is needed this time. It is essential to penalize the violators and keep practicing the towing of vehicles, as that is the way we have in out country. The possible solutions from traffic department are already been addressed in ‘Draw the lines…’ (21 Jan, AM) But as personnel, what can we do, seems easier and implemental. “Why is it that I am the only one who is caught?” – A thought like a gunshot appears when your vehicle is taken away from amongst other 40, parked wrongly just besides. But have you ever thought that other 40 have parked inappropriately, why shouldn’t I park mine correctly? Can we be proud of being a citizen of a developed (so called ‘metro) city but having zero civic sense!? A lot to think about! Self discipline is the word. It wouldn’t be enough to get a uniformed, well structured traffic and parking system, until we start following simple discipline ourselves. Common sense or say civic sense comes before the law practice, as the latter is an imposition and the previous is a willing exercise. 

Parking vehicles in a row, parking them straight and closer to the next vehicle, keep vehicle a little distance if the destination is already crowded, using main stand while parking your two wheelers, parking cars in sub streets rather than parking them on busy roads – these are very simple things that we can follow despite of having clear indications of parking zones. We can easily manage the space we have by keep it organized. Everything depends on a bit of thinking from you and me. Give it a thought before you do anything in public and it may bring a significant change over all.   

 Sneh B

Ahmedabad, 8 February 2008

‘Draw the lines and make people walk’

 “The city traffic police department is smiling its way to the bank”, said Vipul Rajput in the Ahmedabad Mirror, 18 Jan. An important issue has been encountered when it’s needed the most. Traffic chaos is getting obvious for the commercial capital. But traffic department is failing to protect the integrity of the parking laws and instead, the objective of the department has shifted; as they seem to be acting like a (money) collection agency. Traffic department rather looks happier appreciating the penalty fees as the revenue, claimed Vipul Rajput. It is turning to be a one more indecent way of generating revenue for the Government as they also sought the income by liberating the liquor prohibition.  

True, the indiscipline prevails among the city-men while driving or chucking their vehicles anywhere on the roads. People are least likely to look for a parking spot, especially for a quick stop. What is adding in their sloppy behavior is the least encouragement from the traffic department; there are a few clearly designated parking zones, but no shared education to follow the parking norms. If we review the department’s efforts, there has been an increased number of towing stations operating in the city. Moreover, consider the cost of the land hired or possessed to place the towed vehicles, the expenses for hiring or buying towing vans, the cost of employing the workforce to lift the vehicles and paying from the ordinary clerk to the duty officers – for 12 functional towing stations. Additionally, towing vans are adding turmoil to the overcrowded traffic (bearing in mind the extensive digging and the BRTS deployment through the city) and leaving the commuters at the risk too, by making frequent trips as they are trying to reach their daily target of 5000 vehicles. These money and hard work could be utilized in educating people about the new protocols of parking, for example: you cannot park in front of public garden. How much of us know about it? People are now getting furious over the haphazard abduction of their vehicles. The senior officer at Drive-In towing station kindly accepts the rage from the commuters. He added, ‘we have presented this situation to the traffic ACP Mr. N G Patel and the higher authorities, there isn’t a real implementation of parking zones.’

It is not about fingering someone but considering it as an issue which could be resolved by positive efforts. Traffic Department should designate the parking areas clearly on each road, near every shopping malls and cinemas, around public gardens and near the street markets too. In many cases people park their vehicles unknowingly. People could be advised and controlled over the parking mess in many ways, but the clear parking indications and uniform allocations would help us better to organize the space and preserve the laws. One doesn’t want to break the law intentionally but proper guidance will encourage them to keep in order. The line must be drawn somewhere, better if the traffic authorities draw some on the streets.   

Sneh Bhavsar |  Ahmedabad, 19 January 2008