2016 Aug 17
By Ridmi Upeksha
Sri Lankan roads and its traffic is no new news to all of us. To be in traffic, to come out of traffic, and again to be in traffic junction after junction is something that some of us have added on to our day to day routines. Experiencing daily traffic varies from each travel mode that’s available in the country. However, whichever travel mode you use, some driver ends up creating some kind of hassle on the road that will lead to a traffic jam. End of the day all of us are stuck in the same traffic that we created ourselves. Drivers initiating traffic and driving to road accidents have become the main highlight news and drivers are normed to be the cause of all kinds of traffic and road accidents. But, reality pedestrians are as much as responsible for whatever the chaos that goes down on roads. When it comes to road traffic or road accidents, the fault falls on the driver most of the time. Pedestrians are safe sided from the law and becomes the priority in any case. But are they not at fault at all? As pedestrians, how much do we really care about where we are crossing the roads from? Do we consider much about the attention span that we spare for road safety when walking down on streets and roads in this country?
Firstly, to start with the pedestrians who cross roads across yellow lines whenever they feel like where there are junctions and are fixed with a waiting box. This lousy and thoughtless action disrupts the whole vehicle stretch behind that junction, interrupting the focus of the drivers who are in the front which will lead to a traffic jam or possibly an accident. It’s a truth that the yellow line is there to be used on the roads to cross across, but it is necessary to observe the road and the surrounding when deciding to cross it. Seeing a yellow line and crossing when you feel like it is not necessarily a right given to you. Observe, and pay attention to what you should and shouldn’t be doing on the roads.
Secondly, those pedestrians who are not crossing from yellow lines, are on a spree crossing roads in middle of four way junctions, 50m away from the yellow line, and sometimes from the space between vehicles when there is a slow moving traffic on the road. This type of pedestrians knowingly choose not to cross from the correct place just for convenience, and if something goes wrong on the road they have the gut to blame it on the driver and repeatedly refuse to claim responsibility. The amount of traffic created on the roads because of these pedestrians are enormous. It’s clear that you are the problem on the road and just because you are failed to see that, don’t make rest of us on the road to look bad and take responsibility for your actions.
Thirdly, the pedestrians who walk on the roads as if the roads were owned by them, with zero consideration as of to what’s going on the road except for them walking on it. Walking past the pavement limit, literally on the road space with three four other pedestrians next to each other is another issue that causes unnecessary chaos and waiting on the roads, which leads to traffic. If you have something to discuss with your buddies, a busy road is not the place to do it. Do later on your own time. Pay proper attention to where you are walking and how you are walking on the roads.
Fourthly, the celebrators who create traffic at festive times of the year is also another concern. Even though special routes are introduced by traffic police, how celebrators go beyond the area and create traffic is absurd. You are not the only one on the road! Holidays and festivals are there for celebration but don’t use that as an excuse to disturb rest of us who are on the road.
Lastly, for all the pedestrians including schoolers,workers,and shoppers who are crossing and walking on roads carelessly, who are well aware of the traffic rules – It’s essential that we all follow and pay attention to things we already know to keep balance of the roads. It’s always not the driver’s fault that you get late to go somewhere, or that there are so many road accidents on road. Currently, our country does not have strict rules and restrictions for pedestrian. It’s a fact that there are rules, but it’s highly forgotten and ignored. If there is a strict system to be followed and to serves J – walkers and whoever does a road rule violation, current situation can be controlled. Traffic is not a one sided issue. It’s an outcome of a combination of actions taken on the roads by whoever’s travelling it. One road mishap in one place can create a traffic jam for three or more junction ahead from that area. What we do, and how we do what we do on roads effect this current ongoing traffic issue of the country. If we are careful and responsible enough to take care of ourselves and do have the decency to give a minute to see any problem from a better point of view, and act towards better road behavior, it’ll be only a matter of time that we find an answer to this issue at hand. The amount of time and money waste on the roads can be used for better development of your own lives, which will eventually lead to better development of the country. Think twice a before you act on the road, it’s not only your life that’s involved in it. Be smart, practice what you know for a better future!
