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Commuters are seen crossing the introduction of Zebra Crossings at three of the town’s busiest intersections: Dhobinullah junction, Holy Cross junction, and the Deluxe Point. (EMN/Sorei Mahong)[/caption]
The ability to drive but the lacking in driving etiquette; drivers’ ignorance about Pedestrian Rights, and a history of feral street habits are the biggest challenges for Dimapur’s Traffic establishment as it struggles to civilize the wild streets of Dimapur, reports our Senior Reporter Temjenrenba Anichar.
DIMAPUR, MAY 9 : Of late, the once-freewheeling-streets of Dimapur have been at the receiving end of some long-deserved disciplinary measures. Thanks to the introduction of a series of humanizing regulations and civilizing guidelines from the traffic authorities of Dimapur, some light have begun to shine into the barbarian behaviours of the city’s motorists and pedestrians alike.
This is even more so after the current team of young police officers took the responsibility of managing Dimapur’s wild traffic. The results from the attempts to establish a semblance of civility and order on the streets of Dimapur are gradual, but, nonetheless, visibly persistent.
The latest of such attempts by the traffic authorities is the introduction of Zebra Crossings at three of the town’s busiest intersections: Dhobinullah junction, Holy Cross junction, and the Deluxe Point.
For those who came in late, Zebra Crossings are a place on a road, especially one where there is heavy traffic, across which wide, black and white lines are painted. By rule, vehicles must stop before the white lines to allow people to walk across the road.
It, however, is not to suggest that the Zebra Crossings–the most visible symbol of Pedestrian Rights–is a novelty to Dimapur. Even during the previous year, there were similar paintings–they lasted hardly three months. This year however, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police for Traffic (zone-I) Seyiesezo Peseyie, the markings have been made using thermoplastic marking paints that “lasts for a long time.”
On May 3 last, traffic authorities issued a press release informing of the reintroduction of Zebra Crossings at downtown Dimapur with the stated reason “to ensure safety of the pedestrians.” There was also the additional information that no vehicles “at halt or halted (position) in the traffic junctions” should cross the white-lines.
Unfortunately, light has yet to shine into the minds of motorists who, apparently, have rarely been exposed to first-world urban road cultures and traffic Rules of Engagements. Almost a week since the new safety measures were introduced, the refusal of motorists/drivers from adhering to the new rules continues to present the Dimapur traffic personnel their biggest hurdle yet, Peseyie lamented.
The traffic authorities’ original advisory against crossing the demarcated lines was accompanied by the pronouncement that “drivers violating the safety measures will be penalized.” But the ACP told Eastern Mirror on Monday that the authorities are currently adopting a gentler approach for now. Yes, for now.
The attempt, he said, was to help motorists/drivers cultivate traffic discipline by simply asking them to roll back whenever they breached the demarcations. The new, and gentler approach, is in consonance with the district police’s much welcomed efforts to build for itself a more humane image.
“If we start penalizing them from day-one, then the public will also start saying that we are only after money; that we are only trying to fill our pockets,” reasoned Peseyie. This “polite approach,” to use the phrase of the ACP, would however be replaced by a more ‘conventional mode of policing’ if violation continues.
“We will adopt this polite approach for a few weeks. But maybe after a month, we will start penalizing if they continue to violate the rules,” he informed. Peseyie also indentified public indiscipline, either through ignorance of rules or blatant indifference, as the biggest roadblock for traffic authorities in the attempt to civilize the streets of Dimapur.
“It will be great if our people can actually follow the simple rules. The traffic police alone cannot do it. That is the truth. We need cooperation from everyone,” the police officer said.
Can write, but can’t read of the many factors that contribute to the daily scenes of indiscipline on Dimapur’s roads, one compelling reason perhaps is the fact that most vehicle users/drivers are self-taught, as opposed to qualified/certified users who acquire driving skills alongside education in traffic etiquettes and obedience from driving institutes or academies.
This also is not to suggest that only qualified/certified drivers follow traffic rules. But a survey to the number identify certified users/drivers in Dimapur would surely throw up some interesting conclusions.
