Traffic Chaos the Buck Stops Where? Uncivilized Erratic Traffic Behaviour’s, The VVIP Movement, or Non Visionary Town Planning: A Balanced Perspective
DR.FIAZ FAZILI
Traffic chaos is a growing problem in many parts of the world, and Kashmir is no exception. The region’s picturesque landscapes are marred by daily traffic jams, causing significant inconvenience and frustration for commuters. While it is easy to point fingers at high-profile VVIP movements as the primary cause of traffic disruptions, such an escapist approach overlooks the self-introspection and the multifaceted nature of the problem. This piece will explore the roles of uncivilized erratic traffic behaviours, VVIP movements, and town planning in contributing to traffic chaos, and argue for a balanced perspective that addresses all these factors.
Defining the Traffic Problem for the Common Man
For the average resident of Kashmir, the traffic situation translates into daily frustrations and significant disruptions. Commutes that should take minutes often extend to hours, leading to lost productivity, increased stress, and higher fuel costs. The environmental impact is also considerable, with increased air pollution from idling vehicles contributing to health problems. Beyond the tangible inconveniences, there is a broader sense of inequity and frustration, as systemic issues often appear to favour the privileged few over the common populace.
Public Perception and Resentment: The frequent disruptions of traffic movements create a sense of resentment among the public. The sight of ordinary citizens being forced to wait for the passage of a VIP convoy exacerbates feelings of desperation and discontent of a person who doesn’t understand the security protocol’s. Restricting my viewpoint on what affects my professional responsibilities, the disruption caused by unexpected (unpredicted) pause on traffic movements has profound implications for medical practitioners on call, especially concerning the golden hour—a critical window for treating emergencies. Despite government notifications prioritizing ambulances, the reality is that many doctors travel in private cars, which are not afforded the same privileges. Here’s how this issue affects them:
Implications of Traffic disruptions for medical practitioners on call
Delayed Response Times
When traffic movements VIP or non-VIP cause roadblocks, medical practitioners on call face significant delays in reaching their patients. In emergencies, every minute counts, and even slight delays can result in severe consequences or fatalities. The golden hour, the first 60 minutes after a traumatic injury or medical emergency, is crucial for saving lives and preventing long-term damage. Traffic disruptions during this period can mean the difference between life ,limb and death.
Compromised Patient Care
Doctors often need to travel to various locations, including different hospitals, clinics, or patient homes, especially in critical care scenarios. When their movement is impeded by unexpected diversions, road blocks from any cause, they may not be able to provide timely care. This is particularly problematic in situations requiring immediate medical intervention, such as cardiac arrests, strokes, haemorrhagic shocks or severe injuries.
Increased Stress and Burnout
The constant struggle to navigate through traffic blockades adds to the stress and workload of medical practitioners. The unpredictability of reaching their destinations on time can lead to professional burnout and decreased job satisfaction. This stress not only affects the doctors’ well-being but also the quality of care they can provide to their patients.
Effectiveness of Government Notifications
While the government issued very important notifications to prioritize ambulances, these measures are often not enforced effectively. Moreover, many doctors do not travel in ambulances but in private vehicles, which are not recognized for priority passage. In our city there is no recognised agency like 911 or red crescent who cater pre Hosp services, in policy implementation highlights a gap that needs addressing to ensure that all medical practitioners can perform their duties without unnecessary hindrance.
Potential Solutions
Special Passes for Medical Practitioners: Issuing special passes or stickers for private vehicles of on-call doctors can help authorities recognize and prioritize their movement during VIP convoys.
Clearer Guidelines and Enforcement: Authorities should establish and enforce clear guidelines ensuring that private vehicles carrying medical practitioners are given the same priority as ambulances.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Educating the public and authorities about the importance of the golden hour and the need to facilitate the movement of all medical professionals can create a more supportive environment.
Technological Solutions: Implementing GPS-based systems to identify and prioritize medical practitioners’ vehicles during emergencies could streamline the process and reduce delays.
Infrastructure Deficiencies-
Town Planning and Infrastructure
Effective town planning and adequate infrastructure are crucial for managing traffic flow and reducing congestion. However, in Kashmir, deficiencies in these areas significantly have contributed to traffic problems.
Inadequate Road Infrastructure: The existing road infrastructure in Kashmir is insufficient to handle the growing volume of traffic. Narrow roads, poor maintenance, and lack of proper signage exacerbate traffic congestion and increase the risk of accidents.
Urbanization and Population Growth: Rapid urbanization and population growth have led to an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. However, this surge in vehicular traffic has not been matched by corresponding developments in road infrastructure, leading to congestion and delays.
Lack of Modern Traffic Management Systems: The absence of modern traffic management systems, such as intelligent traffic signals and real-time monitoring, makes it difficult to optimize traffic flow. Traditional traffic control methods are often inadequate to address the complexities of modern traffic patterns. The flyover at Hyderpora chowk, the arterial line between international airport and smart city has become malignant sore , always you have to wait ,deserves urgent attention and action plan.
Inefficient Public Transportation System: Though E Buses have eased public transport, the public transportation system in Kashmir is inefficient and underdeveloped. As a result, many people rely on private vehicles, contributing to increased traffic congestion. Investing in a robust and efficient public transportation system could provide viable alternatives to private vehicle use and reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.
Uncivilized Erratic Traffic Behaviour’s
Many drivers exhibit a casual disregard for traffic rules, such as speed limits, non-compliance with traffic signal, stoppage of passenger buses in middle of road, not only worsens congestion making it difficult for traffic to flow smoothly but also increases the risk of accidents.Lane discipline is crucial for maintaining orderly traffic flow, but its absence is a significant problem in Kashmir. Illegal parking on the sides of roads, especially in congested areas, with no defined parking areas obstructs the movement of other vehicles. Cars parked haphazardly force drivers to navigate around them, causing traffic jams and further congestion.
Impatience and Aggressive Driving: Impatience among drivers leads to aggressive driving behaviour’s such as sudden lane changes, overtaking from the wrong side, and ignoring traffic signals. These actions disrupt the overall traffic system and create hazardous conditions on the roads.
VVIP Movement: there is always scope for continuous improvement.
Security Protocols and Road Closures: VVIP movements all over the world necessitate stringent security measures, including the clearing of routes and temporary road closures out, UT is not an exception to this protocol for ensuring the smooth passage of important personalities. These measures, while essential for the safety of VVIPs, understandably lead to significant delays and inconvenience for regular commuters. The issue of blocking traffic for VIP or VVIP movements, definitely, the authorities must be working on the inconveniences of everyday hardships of ordinary citizens- assuredly are not overlooked in favour of maintaining the status quo for the elite. However, it must be indeed a matter of concern for traffic regulatory authorities often receiving the attention it deserves from authorities that is why see frequent improvised traffic improvement advisories .As a quality improvement professional lessons we learned, there is always scope for improvement, or alternate way of doing things with reviewed improvised planning especially on, frequency, timings , duration and routes , I understand this discrepancy stems from several intertwined factors, and that last chapter of improvement is yet to be written.
The uncivilized driving behaviours of the general public play a significant role in exacerbating traffic problems blaming VVIP movements alone for the traffic chaos in Kashmir is an oversimplification of a complex issue that is not the sole cause contributing to traffic problems. This is primarily due to entrenched cultural practices, a disconnect between civil society responsibilities and consequences of certain erratic traffic behaviours, and the lack of organized public education on morality and civility. Addressing this issue requires a shift in priorities, increased accountability, and a more empathetic approach from those in power.
The author besides being a medical doctor at Mubarak hospital , is very active in positive perception management of various moral, social and religious issues. He can be reached at drfiazfazili@gmail.com & twitter
