A soul lost to our traffic mindset

He was the epitome of compassion for all. The smile out of the corner of his mouth was so contagious and appealing that it drew you in like a blackhole. Once caught, you could never come out, or you certainly never wanted to. 

His endearing charm would extend beyond that assuring grin into his uncanny ability to do anything for you. You could trust him with your life and everything else, blindfolded. 

He was no relative of mine, but he was far more. He was my trusted confidant, an uplifting friend willing to run that extra mile. He was callow and full of promise, and yet he departed tragically at a very young age. 

He himself was engulfed by the very black hole he once wove for others. He wanted to live not only for himself but unconditionally for others. A cruel accident on a highway ended all his desires. 

Anwar is so close, and yet so far away. Today, he only lives invisibly within me. 

You may also have your own heart-rending stories about your loved ones lost to a horrendous mishap. Your groans echo along the very roads where they died a gruesome death. 

The fact is, many deaths like Anwar's don't appear in mainstream news. They are buried beneath other news deemed more important and are quietly moved on from. Anwar's death was never headline-worthy, nor was it in any major newspaper. After all, these are regular occurrences on our roads. The accident will sink into oblivion and the faceless anonymity will likely not perturb anyone enough for a meaningful change. 

But why do we lose so many to accidents and get numb to it? There are many evils that plague our traffic and highway systems. Unfit vehicles, drivers without licenses, a lack of vision in designs, reckless driving, lax enforcement, and bribery in obtaining papers are all contributing factors. 

Plenty has been said of them already. So, I will veer off in another direction to highlight our thought process. I have noticed a few basic things that truly reflect our mindset. So, my focus here is not on efficient design aspects, but on how we need to pause and rethink our approach.    

The concept of yielding 

A good traffic system is predicated on waiting for our turn. The simple premise is that when it is one side's turn to move, it is the other side's responsibility to stop and give way. Unfortunately, I don't see this basic principle respected and practiced anywhere on the streets of Dhaka. The tendency is for everyone to move at the same time in all directions. 

There's absolutely no protection in this type of manoeuvres, and only a driver's luck and immense skill can prevent a major mishap. The right-of-way has to be respected and yielded for the safe movement of traffic. I have driven in other countries where this rule takes precedence over all others. 

Driving on the wrong side

Opposing flows of traffic are always separated by road markings or dividers to prevent head-on collisions which can lead to the deadliest form of accidents and high casualties. But on Dhaka streets, going in the opposite direction is a convenience relished by many, oblivious to the lethal consequences. Going around often seems too cumbersome because of our tendency to save time. Even when there is a U-turn lane nearby, drivers often resort to this practice. The rickshaw pullers endanger their passengers even more in the face of oncoming traffic. 

Keeping in lanes

Staying in one's lane is key to avoiding side collisions. A vehicle should only change lanes with a blinker indicating intent. But there are not enough lane markings on Dhaka streets, let alone the concept of staying in them. 

Part of the problem stems from the movement of vehicles of varying speeds. As there are cars and buses, there are also slow-moving carts and rickshaws. So, it would be really hard to stay in lanes even if they were there. Let me cite two examples.

The highway through Purbachal is one of the most recent modern highways built in Dhaka which has clear lane markings. It is mainly used by high-speed vehicles. But, to my dismay, even there, the drivers straddle lanes. 

Another example pertains to the overpasses. Usually, curved overpasses have just a lane or two with adequate shoulders on each side, and the vehicles are expected to form lines while driving on them. But, in Dhaka, traffic moves even onto the shoulders, creating a situation where a stalled vehicle can easily hold up traffic. In developed countries, this does not happen. This is also evident on our Expressway. 

Blocking roads 

Dhaka is perhaps the only city where major roads are frequently closed by agitations, programmes, demands, and movements — causing immense suffering. These disruptions spill into side alleys, paralysing the city. Can we not confine such programmes to designated areas or parks and spare the roads?

Limits of our rights 

I think Dhaka is the only city where I have seen pedestrians cross the highways almost anywhere and signal the oncoming traffic to stop to allow them to cross even though there are pedestrian overpasses at several points. 

This not only shows a lack of understanding of right of way, but also the unwillingness to walk a few steps more to use those overpasses. Pedestrians can cross at designated crosswalks and traffic lights when the lights are red, but they don't have any right elsewhere over moving traffic. I have noticed this even on the much-vaunted Dhaka-Mawa highway too. 

Conversely, drivers need to be mindful that at designated crossing points pedestrians hold the right-of-way. 

Holding up one side far too long 

Because of a lack of adequate traffic lights, traffic personnel are stationed at major intersections, leaving traffic to their whims. They arbitrarily control the flow. I have noticed that they often hold up one side too long unnecessarily, contributing to long backups. This practice severely restricts the free and quick flow of traffic. My view is that each side should be held up for a shorter period of time to facilitate quick movement. 

Final thoughts

Sadly, there are some problems that we may have to live with because of a lack of space and vision during design. New infrastructures with better design can always be implemented, while some existing ones restored to service, but how we use what we already have has a great bearing on the flow of traffic and potential accidents.   

Even with newer designs, if we don't educate our drivers and pedestrians to change their habits and to be mindful of their limits and rights, nothing will improve. 

At the very least, we need to change our mindset and habits to help keep our roads passable. We honk too much, partly because our traffic system is not orderly. Noise pollution is a nuisance. Everyone needs to contribute to a system. Authorities can run regular campaigns on TV, social media, and newspapers to highlight traffic rules, educate on the right way, and to urge people to follow them. 

Training is also required for traffic personnel on the roads to ensure smooth flow. We need to keep our elbows down, not up, while driving. Why is it that we follow the rules when we are inside the cantonment, and defy the same when we are outside it? Let's not lose another priceless soul like Anwar's to something we can prevent. 

Sketch: TBS

Arif Shahjahan is a contributor

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.