An Open Letter to Nitish Kumar – former Chief Minister of Bihar.

I am just another common man residing in Patna since last seven years. Have seen the growth over years and proud of working in this city since so long. Even though a lot of developments have taken place during last few years, one issue that is very critical and need to be taken care of is the City Traffic. Below are few issues highlighted which could help reduce traffic issues to some extend if taken up seriously.

The main problem we face in traffic are as below;

1.      The vehicles that carry garbage

2.      Road/Flyover Construction

3.      Auto Rickshaws

4.      Car parked on roads.

5.      Forced capturing roads by some people

6.      Temples in between roads.

7.      Shops, fast food joints on road etc.

8.      Unawareness of people on traffic rules or refuse to follow them

My suggestion to reduce traffic issue is as below;

The vehicles that carry garbage

Currently these vehicles start working after 8am and keep moving in roads till 10-10:30am which makes it difficult for office-goers. They make a mess of the road. These vehicles need to start working from 5am and clear the road by 8:30am maximum to make way for office goers.

Road/Flyover Construction

This work is currently done till late evening. This can be managed better. Currently mixing machines and other big 4 wheelers are engaged to work as on basis. This creates a lot of traffic snarls during 9-11am and 5-7pm when major chunk of office goers and going back home. This creates a lot of traffic jams in most of the places. Where work involves traffic disturbance can be managed in non-peak hours which is before before 8am, from 11am to 4pm and 7pm onward. This could save a major traffic jam.

Auto Rickshaws

Auto Rickshaws have become a major menace and they constitute all the major traffic snarls and road accidents in the city. The traffic police is silent in matters of the Auto Rickshaws as they get free ride whenever they want. This needs serious attention. Traffic police who are letting go the Auto rickshaw to violate traffic rules are to be dealt as below;

       

Traffic police found violating rules by letting people go with bribe are to be penalized by way of suspension from duty for a week for the first time offence, 3 days for second time and seven days for all subsequent times. During this time either no pay or half pay to be given to them.

Car parked on roads.

In most the places, we see a lot of vehicles parked in the middle of the road. They are simply not bothered whether or not they are causing any inconvenience to passersby. This needs to be looked into seriously. This is also applicable for auto-rickshaw, cycle rickshaw etc. They need to be penalized heavily so that they think twice before doing that again.

Forced capturing roads by some people

Some of the houses and shops capture the roads and constructing/ extending their building to the road. These construction need to be broken immediately and rent per sq ft as per market price to be realized from them from the day of construction of house.

Temples in between roads.

Temples have become the major commercial hub in the city. In the name of temple, people have started capturing roads, plots and take advantage of the religious sentiments of the people. These construction need to be broken immediately and rent per sq ft as per market price to be realized from them from the day of construction of house.

Shops, fast food joints on road etc.

Vending zones to be earmarked in various places and those occupying areas other than this are to be punished / penalized seriously with penalty in form of rent to be collected from them.

Unawareness of people on traffic rules or refusing to follow them

It is not that people are not aware of the traffic rules; they simply don’t want to follow them. The solution for that has to be dealt with strictly as below;

i.         Those breaking traffic rules are to be penalized not only with money; but they have to attend a training program for a substantial period of time on weekends organized by school students. Until the training is completed, they have to deposit their license and vehicle documents with traffic police. Suggestion on weekends is suggested because, their entire routine on that weekend will go haywire and they will think twice before committing such things again.

ii.        Vehicles parked on road side are to be penalized seriously and a two hour traffic awareness training to be attended by the owner and until then the papers should be handed over to police.

iii.        Public display of contact numbers of escalation in case of citizens wanting to log problems with traffic personnel.

Money that is collected from these penalty should be accounted for traffic station wise and they need to be utilized for traffic development of that locality. There has to be contest among traffic zones for increasing traffic awareness, reducing traffic issues and rewards to be presented from the fund collected.