India is the world’s largest democratic republic. With the advancement of Transport Systems, countries are identified on the basis of their “Roads”. India has difficult road and traffic conditions. In this part of the world, “Roads” are not meant to commute from here to there, but the road themselves run from here to there.
Conditions of roads across India are not hidden. In the last 50 years, India’s automobile population has grown 170 times, while the road infrastructure has expanded only nine times. The country’s vehicle population is over 5.5 crore and is growing at a phenomenal rate of 25 lakh every year. Roads make up 4% of Kolkata city as compared to 25% in Delhi and 30% in some other cities. Outside the metros, the main roads and other roads are poorly maintained and congested.
The main roads are narrow and in poor conditions, most of them lacking overpasses for intersecting roads. They are used for sleeping, walking and somewhere down the line, serve as “Temporary Shops”. Vendors often encroach upon streets and block sidewalks, restricting traffic. In the last 50 years, India’s automobile population has grown 170 times, while the road infrastructure has expanded only nine times. While roads are widened to allow the increase in vehicle population, side-walks for pedestrians have shrunk. The pedestrian’s right of way at zebra-crossings is something of a dream, making “Jay Walking” a common phenomenon.
Driving conditions prevailing on the Indian roads is somewhat similar across the metros. Traffic is chaotic. Vehicles veer between lanes. Traffic Signals are not always functioning and if found working, then drivers generally do not observe traffic rules. They drive fast, recklessly without considering the traffic rules, cross speed limits and try to overtake others by every norms, drive dangerously, cut in front of other vehicles without signaling, honk horns often, they even honk at potholes and speed-breakers and jump traffic signals. Many drivers are indisciplined and lack the knowledge of traffic rules. They sometimes choose to convert the middle of the road into a stop. It is disgusting to note that drivers open the car doors in the midst of the roads to spit pan juice. It is really strange to note that some autorickshaw drivers, who wedge their way into every possible gap on the road, signal with their feet instead of hands.
Pedestrian crosswalks are lacking as compared to their actual requirements, forcing the pedestrians to walk on the road and fail to yield to pedestrians their right to share the roadway. Pedestrians are treated as street dogs. Instead, vendor stands, sign posts and illegally parked vehicles are launched on pedestrian crosswalks, leaving them on the mercy of the reckless drivers. Streets are potholed. Road surfaces are rough and dug everywhere. These are covered with wooden boards as temporary bridges. Travel at night is particularly dangerous, especially on Indian roads. It is important to be alert while crossing streets and intersections, especially after dark, as traffic comes in the wrong directions.
Traffic jams as a result of poor maintained roads are common. Traffic Management is inadequate. Roads congested with traffic have poor visibility, inadequate warning markets; local transport crisscrossing in opposite directions is common. We have traffic rules, but lack traffic discipline. Traffic police is often unreliable. They are possibly one of the hazards in India. Traffic law enforcement is sloppy across India. Traffic policemen have transformed from a law enforcing body to a revenue generating machine, limiting their duties to issue challans and not to enlighten people about their offences and their ill-effects. One can easily break a rule and grease their hands and just flee. In response to this negligence, Indian drivers have made their own rules and follow them without any misbelief.