Thoughts on Road Traffic

Posted by on December 15, 2017 in Miscellaneaous jottings | 0 comments

Working from home allows a city-dweller to escape the daily drudgery of commuting. When such an individual goes out even for a brief sojourn within the city, she is quickly annoyed by the condition of roads and the interminable traffic jams. The wait appears endless. What  a waste of time and energy!  Do we ever care to find how many man days we lose by keeping our women and men waiting on the roads? What is its effect on the environment, on the physical and mental well-being of the commuters? I wonder if any such assessments have been made.

nataraj-and-lyra-coloured pencil sketch

Where it is not viable to build better roads or develop and extend the existing road network, the only way out of this disaster is to reduce the use of personal vehicles and replace them with the various means of public transport. For shorter distances cycling is such a healthy alternative both for the riders and the planet it seems incredible that town administrators and governments have done nothing to encourage it. Except for a few European countries, the entire world seems to be in love with the automobile!

nataraj-and-lyra-pencil drawing of cyclists

We hope better sense will prevail and we will make the good old v́́́élo our preferred form of transport. A bike requires virtually nothing except the physical energy required to ride it. That is an item you shouldn’t spend as a miser if you plan to live a long and healthy life.

And who told you that bicycles are meant for a single rider?

nataraj-and-lyra-coloured pencil sketch

 

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