The Art of Traffic Mismanagement

Every one loves art. This love makes one develop a taste for it. By constant practice perfection and mastery are attained. It is said there are three types of managers. The first category consists of those who make things happen. Normally this is associated with those who are dynamic and innovative. But the traffic mismanagers infiltrate into this category because of the wrong twist they give to the management practices. They consider the most inefficient practice as an innovation.

Some examples are interesting. In their territory ,road length, width and surface are far below the need. Vehicle population of all kinds including heavy and light vehicles, hand carts animal carts, two wheelers, powered as well as manual, increase many folds. The revenue department is concerned only with increasing revenue .So it gives permits liberally, and is least concerned about the availability of road length, width and surface to hold the vehicles and to facilitate free movement without accidents. The department concerned with maintenance of roads has no funds. The infrastructure development stagnates. Damages caused during monsoon season add to the common man's woes. It is difficult to distinguish between roads and pools.In the metros vehicle population increases 10 times whereas road length and surface show increase of only by 30%. Repairs and maintenance take place once in two years but scarcity of funds makes this task haphazard.

Traffic managers watch things happening. They look helpless when errant vehicles overtake others in prohibited zones and on the wrong side spitting dense carbon emissions . There is no parking space for vehicles. Once parked a vehicle cannot come out for many others park around the vehicles already parked. The lethargy of the officials is taken as a boon by the traffic offenders. The authorities have done everything to promote accidents by poor road design and maintenance. They cause deaths far exceeding the casualty losses during world wars. But their enterprising spirit manifests in punishing minor traffic offences like jumping signals and zebra lines.

The cumulative helplessness of the officials elevates them to develop an attitude of being not aware of what is happening. They just close their eyes when serious violations occur. They complete their duty hours and return home with a sense of satisfaction of having done a wonderful feat.They revel in mismanagement.They thank their stars that they are not hit by any speeding vehicle during the day.

They complain of lack of resources. First in the list comes shortage of staff. Second is the lack of equipments. But when both are given still the problem persists. The law continues to be an ass in demonstrating its inability to get implemented. Offenders are rarely punished. They escape with minor payment though they cause injury to the pedestrians. Officials meiculously collect their protected pay packets. No one considered responsible ,acts responsibly. No efforts are made to increase road length and surface commensurate with increase in vehicle population.

It is a sad commentary on the quality of management to note that road surface and length increases at snail pace- 30% in five years whereas the vehicle population increases 10 times. But the authorities feel their only link to their profession is the salary day when they remember about the vehicles and road conditions. They forget all about it till the next salary day. But they never fail to collect their dues and fees for closing their eyes at traffic offences. They manage to escape detection and punishment for incompetence. That is the fine art of traffic mismanagement.