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Traffic-Pollution-Accidents:

Why do we use road? Appears to be a simple question but answer is not simple. Generally it is thought footpath are meant for walking and road for driving vehicles. However, in real practice what we find is footpaths and roads are use for any other purpose than what these are meant for. On footpath one finds good being sold, hawkers parking their restaurants, cooking and selling eatables (fast food), vehicles parked in short every thing else but people walking on footpaths. On road the picture is every one is in hurry to reach destination irrespective whether one is behind time or ahead of time. Fast irresponsible driving, breaking traffic rules, trying to overtake even in dangerous situations and all similar to this which transforms in to vehicle damage, pollution and accidents. Most of us drive as if there is no one else on road and have no danger to life, self or others. Every one moves on road as if there is a war on and he/she is soldier fighting the war.

We may think in any way and decide in our mind that the sellers on footpath, hawkers on road etc. must be removed. some may settle for their rehabilitation in some corner. However is this practicable? hawkers provide instant service to people. They sell such goods which are needed by every one of us. We buy so they sell. Would it be possible for us to stop buying from them? Traffic signals on road do annoy drivers, specially where at signal a long queue develops due to long waiting. People do try to find a space and cross road even if red light is on. On one side we need to embed in minds of the drivers that traffic signal is meant for safety of people using road. We may have penalties for the same. However, there should be greater deterrent like if some mishap takes place the one who didn't follow traffic rules shall not get any help from law, administration or insurance. On the other hand it is responsibility of the administration to ensure their shall not be long queues. Waiting period should be as short as say thirty seconds. Also care should be taken in planning and constructing footpaths, roads and crossings by town planners, administration, police and all others who are related to this problem.

My suggestions are as follows. Click to open sketch of a road in commercial area. 'A' is a commercial building. Building must have adequate space for parking of vehicles belonging to persons working in the complex and the persons visiting for shopping. It also have adequate space for services like electricity, water, air conditioning, electronic communication and all other services. Building must have free space all round which can be used for gardening and footpaths/approach roads and for no other purpose. Based on the existing norms a footpath 'B' of adequate width (say Three metres) along the road should be provided Footpath should be used for laying service lines instead of the main road. Service lines be laid in such a way One line doesn't affect working of any other line. Main service lines may be laid on sides of road divider. 'C' is a platform for vendors who wish to sale their goods. This may be approximately Two metre wide. Owners of the building may use floor space above first floor above footpath and vendors' platforms (B & C) for construction of commercial/residential accommodation. Strip 'D' should be for cycle track, parking of public vehicles like auto rickshaw/taxi and public transport stops. Big trees be planted in this area. Trees like banyan can be useful to earn 'Carbon Credit' Strip 'E' is one way road of adequate width. Next to this strip 'F' should be used by traffic in the opposite direction. Generally, wherever a road divider is provided there is tendency to take vehicles in opposite direction to save some distance. Such vehicles can use this strip to travel in opposite direction and shift to correct side of the road wherever a break is provided in the road divider. 'G' is the road divider. This should be as wide as possible. This should be used for main service lines, tall straight trees and greenery (grass).

Road junction (click here) is the most vulnerable place where most of the traffic rules are ignored, leading to traffic blockage and accidents. Such junctions should be a few and at a distance of approximately Five hundred metres from each other. meeting of roads at the same level at a junction should be avoided. Wherever, a road crosses the main road it should be taken below or above the main road depending on the slope of the road meeting the main road. Where cross roads have no slope they can be raises by two metres and at least bicycles on main road and pedestrians could cross the road without disturbance. Road dividers should be extended towards the centre of the crossing so vehicles who wish to travel straight ahead shall not occupy the lane meant for traffic turning left. This way traffic can be controlled and discipline can be embedded in the drivers.

Probability of accidents is also directly related to the speed of vehicles but inversely to pollution. Idle running vehicles, vehicles in lower gears are responsible for high rate of pollution. This reason alone is adequate to discourage use of speed breakers and barriers. Special attention should be given to design of speed breakers. these should be for reducing speed not for damaging vehicle or injuring the driver. Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) blocks of standard shape and dimensions should be fixed approximately Thirty centimetre or more. On one side it should have gradual slope and other side free fall. Vertical side would force vehicle driver to slow down and also discourage tendency of drivers to take a shortcut in opposite direction. The actual size should be standardised based on experiment results. There should be caution notice in the form of mild speed breakers adequately earlier on the road. Driver must understand that main speed breaker is ahead and unless he slows down he and his vehicle would be in trouble.

Pollution has been studied in details in past. However, implementation on ground is lacking. Engine manufacturers can help a lot. They must ensure their engines are more or less pollution free. All old vehicles in good condition must use natural gas as fuel irrespective of year of manufacture. This should be compulsory if old vehicles need to run on road. New vehicles also would become old in future So these also need to have provision for use of pollution free fuel. There should be a research centre financed by engine manufacturers, the Government and all religious worship centres Research should have Two aims firstly immediate need and long term achievement of totally pollution free energy system.

Question arises whether all this can be done on existing commercial road? This may not be possible in full. However, whatever practicable should be done. Road crossings and speed breakers would be possible. In Pune Laxmi Road is highly crowded and Pune has expanded in all directions. In newly developed area new commercial roads may be constructed considering all facilities needed by the citizen. Bhairo Nalha to Hadapsar, Swargate to Katraj, University Square to Bremen Square, Yerwada to Air force Area, Yerwada to Wagholi, Dapodi to Nigadi, Moshi to Hinjawadi, Rakshak Society to Dange chowk to Chinchwad etc. are some of the alternatives.

Moshi to Hinjawadi has the greatest advantage. This road can be one hundred metre wide and has potential to accommodate present and future IT Complexes. The Government can do it without spending a paisa for this road. On the other hand the Government would earn a large surpluses. Need is to improve land acquisition act. Wherever acquisition of land for a particular purpose enhances land prices, acquisition should be considered for a wider strip (say one thousand metres) of land than needed for the road. After deducting land needed for the roads the rest of the land be redistributed to the owners in the proportion of remainder and the actual land. For example, in a strip of one kilometre land required for roads (main road and parallel secondary roads) is three hundred metres, every land owner should be given seventy percent of his present holding. Care should be taken to keep the length of the plot along the main road exactly same and only reduce the width along right angle to the main road. Construction cost of the roads be recovered from the sale of their land. The first action needed is to earmark the areas, ask land owners to submit proof for ownership and construction with valid approvals obtained for the construction. No new construction be allowed in the area until and unless development plan is finalised and land re-distribution is completed.

Last but not the least issue is 'Carbon Credit'. Municipal Corporation (and why not every one in India?) can take advantage of carbon credit and not only reduce pollution but can earn millions of dollars. Credit o× one hundred or two hundred crore rupees is not a big target for municipal corporations.

There is a requirement to plan for all roads. This needs close working among engineers, architects, police, specialists in various fields and the citizens.

This is an interesting suggetion.