Steering out of traffic chaos

Having interacted with a cross-section of traffic police enforcement staff and seen them in operations, one can only lament their working conditions. A greater grief is when their basic logistic and manpower requirements are brought to the notice of the authorities and the response is lukewarm. At the same time, taxpayers are losing patience and wants answers to some tough questions.

For one, they want to know why traffic is not being effectively managed in the cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad despite billions being spent on road infrastructure. As a former police officer, I am clueless and have no answer. I can’t comprehend why such apathy is being shown towards the traffic mess in the twin cities. For the last many years, there has been considerable noise about the issue but scant action has been taken.

One was pleased when a few months back the interior minister issued a stern directive for resolving the traffic jam in the twin cities besides promising the induction of state-of-the-art technology for identification and regulation of vehicles. This was followed by a complete lull on the matter. One is frustrated at this approach, especially when there is a lot that can be done at a negligible cost.

The first thing to remember is that traffic management is akin to managing a sports event. It is neither a crime nor a felony, as mostly it is a simple violation of the rules laid down. Wherever rules and regulations are not clearly defined, one cannot manage a game or traffic in an orderly fashion. The fundamental problem in the twin cities is that the rules and regulations are so sparsely displayed that the task of enforcement staff is made difficult.

Poor road engineering is another critical issue: the Capital Development Authority has spent billions of rupees on improving road infrastructure but very little on engineering. We can spot evidence of this neglect on all our avenues and roads. One good example is the interchange next to Kalsum Plaza.

In the operational field, the most important aspect of traffic management is the capability and comprehension of the enforcement staff. Through no fault of their own, the traffic forces of the twin cities are just not up to the mark. For one, they were neither specially selected nor properly trained for this job. All those who had served in the traffic at one time or the other were assembled and the two forces were established. With regard to comprehension, there are a few basics which seem alien to the traffic officers. The fundamental rule for traffic management is the ‘right of way’. Hardly a few officers recognise the imperatives of it.

One witnesses blatant, widespread and persistent violation of this key principle at the roundabout between Dhokri Chowk and Islamabad Club. Perhaps it merits an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the single point where the right of way is violated millions of times a month. Just calculate the time and POL wasted! Despite interventions for corrective action, the malpractice continues unabated. Without implementing this fundamental principle, no amount of education, equipment or gadgetry can achieve traffic discipline and order. Second and equally crucial is the concept of lane discipline. Until the traffic police and commuters appreciate that each lane is like a separate and distinct road, there can be little traffic discipline. The two forces need to be rigorously trained on the right of way and lane discipline. Enforcement of just these two tenets will work wonders with colossal savings of POL and time. More than half the traffic problems will be resolved as a result.

Meanwhile taking cognisance of moving violations is indispensable as they critically impact safety and flow of traffic. Unfortunately, there is a propensity amongst traffic officers to prefer prosecution of static violations because it is easier, doesn’t make any controversy and presents a rosy picture on paper. The acid test for a traffic officer has to be the percentage of moving violations charged. There is an urgent need for the supervisory staff to ensure that the focus of enforcement is moving violations and not just checking number plates, documents, etc.

In a nutshell, there has been no serious attempt to address the traffic problem. Among measures needed the first and foremost is to collect and compile correct data so that appropriate remedial measures can be contemplated. It is a pity that the traffic of the two cities is being managed on incomplete, disjointed and misleading data.

A simple way to end the traffic chaos of the twin cities is:

Organising a comprehensive road safety audit through professionals and not government outfits, to collect and collate essential data. This audit will identify the black spots, weak areas, engineering faux pas, bottlenecks safety issues and status of road furniture, forming the basis for developing proper remedial measures.

Conducting a crash training programme for all traffic police officers on the right of way, lane discipline and moving violations through experts is critical.

Half the job is done if the road users are aware of the rules and regulations. Hardly anything has been done for traffic education except a FM radio station licensed by Pemra in 2007. Traffic safety and awareness campaigns for commuters will help enormously.

Action for preparing a master plan to control and manage traffic must be assigned to experts, which should be completed in a given time frame. This will form the basis for traffic management in the twin cities — if it is periodically updated.

These measures will have to be supplemented by developing strategies to strengthen, rationalise and institutionalise the systems. Some of the inevitable things to do include setting up of a National Vehicle Registration and Licensing Authority under the police, massive improvements in public transport, proper parking lots/meters, traffic and time zoning and setting up of a National Road Safety Authority under the prime minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2017.

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