The menace of traffic jam in India has made me write on this topic.  Those who travel regularly will understand how it is affecting our daily lives. Waiting for the vehicles to move because of traffic jam is one of the gloomy things that we can ever face. Yes, the very idea of vehicles travelling in an organized manner in roads is a thing of joy. But unfortunately, that is not the case. The saddening thing is that we don’t follow the traffic rules as we should do. Now let me shed light on traffic jam in India and some steps to address it:

Change office and school/college times

Now school timings and office timings are more or less same in cities like Chennai. This leads to lot of traffic congestion with several vehicles plying on the road. To avoid this, the authorities could decide on moving office timing by a couple of hours ahead.

Work on the road surface

Uneven roads are one of the primary issues that cause accidents and heavy traffic.  The inappropriate maintenance of roads causes unwanted congestion. The road surfaces are pathetic in several places in metros like Chennai, and there are also potholes aggravating the situation.

Be prudent in avoiding peak hours

Generally, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. are peak hours. This is the time when office-goers and school/college students travel. If you are doing some personal errands, ensure to do it in the afternoon hours where the traffic will be less.

Drive in lanes

Your following of lane discipline is essential to avoid traffic jam. You must travel in the correct lane to reach your destination. Not changing lanes unnecessarily is a good thing. Driving in lanes will also make you follow the speed limit. The chances of accidents are also reduced. It is always a good idea to have space for one additional vehicle to pass between two lines of traffic. These extra vehicles are ambulances which need immediate attention.

Avoid wrong parking

This is mainly due to the lack of parking infrastructure. I have seen several vehicles parked in the wrong places, and due to this the other vehicles get blocked. There is also the danger of accidents when people hit big vehicles that are carelessly parked on highway sides.

Do as much walking and cycling when needed

Walking is the best exercise, and it is related to avoiding traffic jam too. For short distances, you can opt for walking or cycling so that you avoid traffic congestion.

 

Avoid honking continuously

What is the real reason when people honk continuously when traffic signal is just near to the green light on the timer? Are they expecting that the vehicles in front will vanish in thin air? Such honking should definitely be controlled, especially in the vicinity of hospitals or schools. Just because lot of people is doing it doesn’t mean that it is a right thing to do.

Get adequate details about road conditions

Get sufficient information about road conditions before travelling to a specific location. For example, it only takes few minutes of forethought to research about the direction that has less congestion. But it will go a long way in mitigating road congestion. The problem is that most of the Indian drivers are unaware of the road system.

What about heavy traffic jam for no reason?

We might have encountered situations when heavy traffic jam happens without any reason at all. It is called as phantom traffic jams. We believe that there would be an accident or a campaign or a construction but when we move further and further there is nothing of that sort. The solution for this irritating pattern can be maintaining equal spacing between cars and other vehicles on the road. For this there should be conscious effort by every person on the road.

Take-home message

Traffic jam has been a pressing issue for many years together. Traffic congestion definitely happens often, but we can take efforts to mitigate it. Driver licensees should be given considering every aspect of proficiency in driving. We should do our bit because after all tiny drops make an ocean.