Traffic concerns and suggestions
I would like to suggest some ideas regarding traffic management and public awareness that should be considered by the PWD, traffic police, and the transport department.
Because the arterial city roads now have dividers, and the passageway spacing is often large, commuters unfamiliar with a route are inconvenienced because they don't know the distance to the next passageway. Placing signs at a reasonable distance before these passageways would greatly benefit everyone.
At many traffic points, it is observed that, as soon as the red light comes on, some beggars and hijras, as well as vendors, spring up and start begging or selling in that very short interval. It is all our luck that no accident has perhaps occurred until this time. As the light shifts to green, some of these people are left in the middle of the road, causing considerable difficulty and posing danger to themselves and drivers as they endeavour to move along as fast during the green time. I hope the authorities take action to halt this practice and prevent future mishaps from taking lives.
During traffic jams and at railway crossings, some people are observed to honk merrily as if it would help. Actually, it adds to the chaos. At the railway gates, the gates cannot open until the last bogie crosses a certain point, as it is linked to the control of the gate for safety. However, some people begin to honk and even scold the gateman, unaware of this rule. Maybe some public awareness in this regard would help.
An important point is that parking at the entrance of a bylane causes great inconvenience for incoming and outgoing vehicles and poses danger. Shifting a few feet helps. Maybe some public appeal in this regard would lessen this nuisance a bit.
Bibekananda Choudhury
Pub Sarania, Guwahati