Vijay K. Saluja
As if the traffic & transportation woes of Dwarkaites were already not sufficient-what with crawling traffic at the two main exits for the city ie flyover -road towards cantonment area/ domestic airport & underpass near sector 22, more have been added to their cup of woes? This has come about after the launch of experimental [as it has been termed by the concerned authorities] traffic pattern at the recently constructed flyover at Rao Tula Ram [RTR] on Outer Ring Road.
This has not only led to tortuous massive traffic snarls on one of the very main artery of Delhi which caters to traffic from Dwarka etc, domestic & international airports but from NH-8,too. As per my personal experience, yesterday ie around 11AM on 21st March, it took more than 35 minutes to traverse a distance of just about one kilometer ie from the grade separator on NH 8 near domestic airport to RR hospital. Beyond RR hospital to IIT Delhi, it took another forty minutes-a stretch of about three kilometers!!
Believe me, hundred of cars & other vehicles were stuck like my car & all the occupants were loudly ruing their fate & the governance system of our so called going to be `world class city!?? Smaller vehicle drivers & pedestrians were at a loss what to do. Some scooterists were on the footpaths!!
How much physical, financial, psychological & social stress, it has caused to thousands of hapless commuters, in just one day, will be worth examination?
The media has reported about this management-debacle & all sorts of debates, discussions, blame- throwing matches have already started.
But, my submission is-
Is it planning?
Is it governance?
Is it good management of our capital of India which is readying itself for one of the prestigious international sporting event, which is only a few months away?
What sort of caring govt it is?
What should the hapless residents of this city, do, in these circumstances?
What should have been done by the authorities?
What needs to be done?
Why Delhi can not be a city like Singapore-perhaps that comparison may not be right as Delhi to my mind, is, a few decades behind, that city, because of many reasons population et al.
But, we can have our own caring & efficient `Sadi Dilli Model`-which our dynamic CM is aspiring for?
How to fill the yawning gaps between the reality & minimum expectations?
These are some of the many questions, which I pose to the readers.
Some of the answers to the same, I will give in the next part of my article., with some more queries, too.
Writer is a Senior Fellow [urban studies], Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi
