Sir,
Traffic jams in Bhubaneswar have reached an alarming stage. People from all walks of life are facing the acute problem day in and day out. It is a big worry for everyone. No one knows at what time one will reach one’s destination. It is uncertainty, anxiety and frustration that one has to undergo while being stuck in traffic.
With each passing day the problem has only aggravated. I feel we have overlooked one simple aspect. It is our changing life style. Because of easy availability/ accessibility to the transport system, we have become lazy. Just look, how people are waiting to go to Chandrasekharpur and adjoining areas. I am not exaggerating but during rush hours, one has to wait at least 25 minutes at the Kalinga Hospital Square. Even one is unsure about reaching one’s destination. Truly we are turning ourselves into invalids.To commute even a short distance by walking has become impossible. I feel we have borrowed this habit from other cities.
The topography and weather conditions of Bhubaneswar are ideal for walking. There are many shortcuts available. People of my age (46 years) or even younger, will vouch for the fact that during our time we walked to our schools, colleges and place of our work. These days we are all health conscious; we talk of Yoga or other forms of exercises. Why not perform this simple exercise of walking dailyIJ If we seriously want to reduce the rush in our traffic then the initiative of walking should come from high ranking officials, public representatives, school teachers and big businessmen.
let’s make walking a fashion. It is possible only in Bhubaneswar. The Government may also declare Chakka Jam once a month, at least within Bhubaneswar city and in its suburb once every few months.
I suggest that the Government should continue to construct footpaths with railings at the present pace and depute more traffic police at road crossings, particularly during school timings. I think, we need not mimic the New Delhi type.
(K Ravi, E, 237,GGP Colony, Bhubaneswar-751025,MOB-9437616497)