Traffic: a true reflection of a nation’s character?
Lahore, with its tombs and mosques, palaces and fortresses, museums, gardens and parks, is regarded as the cultural capital of the country. Remnants of colonial architecture, as well as Moghul architecture, particularly in the old walled city, the variety of bazaars and eateries, further add to its appeal as a multi-faceted, buzzing metropolis.
However, Lahore has also developed quite a reputation for, in fact, become notorious for its horrendous traffic. One can partly blame the steadily rising population in Lahore, which has already crossed the thirteen million mark. A natural result of this surge in population has been the corresponding increase in the number of registered vehicles, estimated to be over seven million.
The sheer volume of traffic would of course lead to heavy congestion, particularly on busy intersections on main roads. It has greatly contributed to the city’s heavy smog and Lahore’s status as one of the most polluted cities in the world with the air quality being well over hazardous levels. But what I witnessed on my recent trip to Lahore this winter left me simply speechless.
People were trying to cut through a very busy intersection, from every possible side, nook and cranny imaginable, with the result that no one was able to budge an inch. It was a complete deadlock. Every driver, from Mercedes Benz and Land Cruiser to the three-wheeled rickshaw and motorcycle, felt it was their individual birthright to move forward whilst everyone else should merely wait or better still, make way for them! Heaven forbid, they gave in and allowed someone else to pass; that would surely be seen as a sign of weakness or inadequacy in comparison with the victorious driver who managed to make their way through.
To my mind, worst of all, were the persistent sirens of an ambulance in the distance, wailing in vain. No one even attempted to even try and make way for it, displaying an utter lack of compassion. Such empathy and concern for one’s community should be a given, considering someone’s life hung by a thread and time could be of essence. Seeing the ambulance just as hopelessly stuck as the rest of us filled me with a deep sense of despair, sadness, frustration, and even rage.
They say you can tell a lot about the character of a nation by looking at its traffic.
Why do Pakistanis, such warm, hospitable people by nature, turn into such savage, inconsiderate creatures once on the road? What is it that propels them to be so selfish and exhibit no patience or common courtesy to fellow commuters?
Driving in Lahore has always been challenging, and increased urbanisation has only intensified the traffic chaos. But a blatant disregard for all rules and regulations is prevalent. “Might is right” seems to be the only unwritten law followed by all.
Why has it come to this and why is the state unable to elicit obedience to its authority?
There are no simple answers to these questions.
A deep-seated sense of inferiority: Perhaps worth considering is the long-lasting effect of years of colonialism, leading to an inferiority complex, deeply embedded in our psyche. We end up over-compensating, throwing our weight around everywhere, trying to show how superior we are to others. And this applies, across the board, right up to our highest-ranking officials.
Again, taking the case of traffic, I have lived in many countries around the world and nowhere else have I seen such extensive motorcades for government officials or roadblocks, for that matter. If a government official or dignitary is passing through, the poor “common” man is left waiting behind barricades, wasting precious time till the motorcade has made its way through. I have experienced this myself on multiple occasions, and with each passing year I find the trend only seems to worsen.
By comparison, here in Canada, it is a common occurrence for Justin Trudeau to simply show up unannounced at a local subway station or our local mall without any VIP protocol. Similarly, I remember my brother mentioning how he had been oblivious to the fact that John Major, then the Prime Minister of the UK, had been sitting behind him enjoying an engaging game of cricket. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the VIP culture has reached unprecedented heights, with roadblocks becoming worse than they have ever been.
General lawlessness: A major contributing factor is the popularly held belief that laws are there to be broken! People clearly do not show any respect for state laws and regulations. The reason is simple: with government vehicles themselves breaking rules on the road, bending them to serve their own purpose, why would the general public then abide by them? They simply mirror the behaviour of our leaders who believe themselves to be above the law.
The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me, and it continued to rankle even when I was back in Toronto. While driving to our local Pakistani store in neighbouring Mississauga to stock up on desi grocery items, again the thought plagued me. For those of you not familiar, Mississauga is a large municipality within the Greater Toronto Area with more than half of the population consisting of immigrants, many of them being of South Asian origin.
Driving on the streets of Mississauga, it’s almost as if one is transported back home—everywhere you look, desi drivers, restaurants, grocery stores—but not quite. In addition to the cleanliness, there is one major difference: the traffic. Organized, not in a rush, not breaking any red lights, coming to a halt at the stop sign, and in fact, engaging in eye contact at an all-way stop, to see who has the right of way and then patiently awaiting their own turn.
Could these be the same people who drive like maniacs on the streets of Lahore or Karachi? Why is it second nature to them here to follow the rules so effortlessly? The answer once again lies within the fabric of society.
Sense of community: Contrary to the might is right mindset and individualism prevalent in our society, Canadians stress the importance of community and supporting one another immensely. It is evident by their actions, from the highest-ranking government officials right down to the common man. Any and everyone is answerable for their actions, and no one is above the law. Everyone considers it is their duty to abide by the laws, irrespective of whether their behaviour is being observed or not.
A classic example of this that I continue to marvel at is their sense of honesty. While driving through the many farms in the Niagara region, one comes across baskets of fruit by the roadside and cardboard signs displaying the price: no one is there to man those stalls. It is just expected that people will deposit the required cash in the box and take the corresponding fruit basket(s).
I’ve been living in Canada for well over a decade now and my admiration and respect for this society only grows. More so on days when I happen to be on the road, and I hear the siren of an ambulance. In only a matter of seconds, the roads are cleared, with cars diverting to make an obstruction-free path for the ambulance. Drivers stand still at a green light, patiently waiting for the ambulance to pass before proceeding on their journey.
Civic sense and community service: It is instilled in all our school-going children here, with them needing at least forty hours of community volunteer work in order to graduate from high school. The very important belief of service to others and a strong civic sense is inculcated in the youth at a young age before they enter adulthood and the real world. This positive attitude and mindset of “we are in this together” creates a feeling of mutual respect, which is beneficial in many ways.
Longitudinal and experimental studies with youth from a variety of ethnic and social backgrounds show a clear association between volunteering and fewer behavioural problems, including lower rates of failure and suspension.
Additionally, the positive influence of volunteering on our general health has also been recorded. Volunteering uniquely predicts lowered depression and increased psychological well-being. The social contact and selfless nature of volunteering increase our levels of oxytocin, commonly referred to as the love hormone, which is associated with empathy, trust and relationship building, thereby decreasing anxiety and increasing positive mood.
It is no wonder that when youth here start to sit behind the wheel, they are much better drivers, far more mindful of and respectful towards their fellow drivers.
And perhaps this is exactly where we need to start, to bring about effective change. We have to inculcate a strong civic sense in our children at the grassroots level—educating them in schools, and making it a part of the curriculum, instead of simply focusing on grades and academic excellence.
Change has to come from within.
In a lighter vein, the silver lining, meanwhile, is that he chaos on the roads in Lahore makes one resilient and ready to tackle any situation. As a friend recently piped in, by way of reassurance to a Lahori appearing for her driving test here, “Don’t worry, you’ll be absolutely fine. You’ve been driving in Lahore, and if you can drive in Lahore, you can drive anywhere in the world!”
Mahein Kazi is a writer is based in Toronto, Canada, where she studied Cognitive Science. All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer.