Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Sept 12: The mentally mauling traffic scenes in East and West Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharsawan districts, the land of the state Assembly and Dhanbad are warnings enough not to look beyond towards other districts for rational minds are bound to hit the psychiatrist�s couch or count the holy beads in Dr Davis� name or amble across to tranquil trails for �rest and recuperation� so very necessary to recover from traffic traumas.
Yes, the traffic conditions are really bad and getting worse by the day (and night) thanks to the unlicensed or licensed dare devils who make various degrees of mockeries of all road norms as there is none to check them or even if there are a few unobtrusive law enforcers, there are alternate routes to escape the government hawk eyes infested with cataracts.
And thus the deadly demos prevail making traffic norms a laughing stock for such acrobats and curse-courses for the saner road users who have no other alternative but to share space with the �Lords of the traffic rings.�
What norm breaking norms are not followed is a poser that even scratching the head to baldness will remain unresolved for, all traffic norms are �meant to be broken� as per the statement made by the almost eternally prevailing scenario.
May be this is a punch below the belt but a punch all the same meant to be felt and measures taken to ensure safety from hurt that lurks under an untamed traffic sky.
Overtaking from the left and at curbs and at roundabouts, skipping traffic lights, triple and sometimes more riding, no helmets, no seat belts, speeding and zigzagging through busy sections, speeding across the wrong side of roads and footpaths (that are meant to be so at least), stopping vehicles in the middle of the road to talk to someone, using mobile phones while riding/driving, using of earphones are some of the banes that come to immediate mind. These woes can only be set right if the authorities concerned seriously implement the traffic norms by imposing fines for every offence.
But the revised Motor Vehicles Act has made exorbitant demands on the common man�s pocket. The fines have definitely to be reduced especially when this species of mankind � the common man � is struggling through a traffic chocked with pathetic economic hurdles. Let the offences remain offences but the rates of fines have to be trimmed down. The long mauled traffic norms have to be put in place through strict and no-nonsense vigil by the arms of law that should not waver under any circumstance. Any �side talk� (it is the infallible art of taking the offender to a side and by mutual financial consent put a lid on the hawk eye) should be banned. The penalties should be strictly imposed and the �spirit of freedom� should be curbed. The rate of fines should be tugged down to pre September 1 period or, at best, with the addition of a negligible percentage.
The Gujarat government has taken the lead and brought down the penalty amounts by 50 percent. Going by murmurs, other state governments are also contemplating reduction in the levels of fines. States ruled by non BJP governments have not implemented the �fine structure� at all.
But certainly do not spare the norms� rod and spoil the child. Catch them. Punish them so that they do not repeat their mistakes with strict and honest all round vigil.
But please, do not burn a hole in poor papa�s pocket that has to contend with other fines for raising a family.
