Traffic congestion in Pune has hit worrying levels. At most intersections, a jam is today the norm rather than the exception. The problem worsens when we have traffic signals that simply switch off whenever there is a power cut. Motorists tend to rush into the intersection, and with no control, what we get is a traffic jam within seconds.
The impact of traffic jams is not limited to lost time or inconvenience. Road congestion is a leading contributor of air pollution, which can prove disastrous for communities. And the increased frequency of this disaster should be a cause for concern for the city administration and traffic police. Vehicles stuck in a traffic jams can emit 40% more emissions than those that are moving. So, if there’s a junction that is experiencing severe congestion five times a day, one can only imagine the health disaster residents of the area are faced with.
There are solutions, though. Community participation and community training is key to tackling any disaster — natural or manmade. This disaster triggered by traffic jams can also be tackled if we involve the community.
Step one of the plan should be identifying junctions that experience the most frequent and longest traffic jams due to signal breakdowns. Step two should be analysing what preventive measures are needed at these locations — if we need more no-parking boards, permission for left turns, altering signal timings etc. Then comes the important step of identifying volunteers and youths from the area who could help manage traffic flow. A fine example of this is in Bhugaon, where scores of villagers are currently out managing traffic along a crucial Paud Road stretch that’s undergoing repairs. These villagers are regulating lanes, ensuring motorists turn off engines and making space for ambulances.
Better training of these volunteers can help, which brings me to step four. The volunteers should be taught basics of traffic control, including the appopriate hand signals and how to stop motorists from jumping signals, effectively. Such training is normally given in schools in the Road Safety Patrol Group.
Step five is where cops can move in. When the Traffic Control Room is alerted of a failed signal at a junction, it should be the job of the Room to immediately deploy these trained volunteers to the spot. In Disaster Management, this is called Disaster Response — the pace at which we respond and how quickly a crisis is brought under control. If the volunteers are able to respond immediately to an alert from the Control Room, faster is the fix to a jam. What may have been a 30-minute congestion can be quickly brought down to 10 minutes, for example.
Finally, as step six, the Control Room should alert the nearest traffic police unit whenever there’s a jam. But until these units arrive, volunteers could be present at the site to prevent the problem from spiralling.
These steps can be implemented in areas where Metro works are on and on SB Road and the Hinjewadi area, where more manpower is needed to regulate traffic flow — The writer is visiting faculty in Disaster Management at a private university.
