Solutions to Traffic Woes?

Posting after a long gap, I am deviating from the themes already started (and I confess pending completion) and attempting to throw some light on why India has such chaotic traffic.

In fact this has been prompted by another blog post by a good friend (http://sanjaymehta.me/2009/11/07/legacies-of-a-shortage-economy/) who attributes these woes largely to the genetic programming governed by generations of a shortage economy. He has described, rather convincingly and creatively, how the need to "grab what is in front of you, because it may not be there later" has led to the attitude on the road as well. While I would tend to agree that past programming may be the genesis, the solution does not lie in waiting for the legacy to be lost from our genes.

Several other factors have led to sustain, or even aggravate the chaos on the roads. Among them are :
- substandard road conditions leading to low average speeds prompting motorists to makeup time wherever possible. Good roads will automatically reduce the stress of driving and make motorists more tolerant. Given a choice most drivers would rather drive without breaking rules. Ofcourse there will a section of errant drivers (see next point)
- lax emforcement of traffic rules. Apart from a few cities like Mumbai, the traffic police in most places dont exert authority and often treated with contempt. If you see others breaking rules and getting away, there is little incentive for you to do so
- lack of knowledge of traffic discipline among motorists. This is a serious issue. A look at the casual process of giving the driver’s license is testimony to the lack of attention given to traffic rules.

A combination of carrot and stick can improve matters considerably.  Given good road conditions to enable people to drive well… and combined with a stringent check on errant drivers can make a big difference. There are other countries as well which have had a turbulent past.... most of the Middle East countries until the 1940s... were not exactly evolved economies. In fact they were even more chaotic. But the UAE has much better traffic discipline - and one of the factors that helped was the strict tests required to get your driving license.

We do see small improvements every time the Mumbai traffic police has its periodic enforcement drives - against drunken driving, honking, jaywalking, etc. How one wishes that these are not just periodic drives, but continuous enforcement!