Whenever I happen to cross the Zoo Tinali area or the Chandmari area I find that the drivers mostly stop their vehicles right before the zebra crossing or on the zebra crossing itself. I wonder whether they actually know what a zebra crossing is for.
I still remember the day when the automatic traffic signal was introduced for the first time in Guwahati. People just didn’t bother to stop at the red signal for the police weren’t present. They were only concerned about driving on to their destination. Then the traffic police decided to control things manually because they knew that they will never be able to stop the people from running away after being hauled up for a traffic violation. If they would let things go the way it was going, it may have become become worse.
Once, when I was on my way back home from my coaching classes I took nearly 20 minutes to cross a road because I was trying to locate the virtually non-eistent zebra crossing. Suddenly I found a group of girls standing on the dividers and than walking through the scores of vehicles standing at the red signal. I had no other way to follow in their steps. In fact, in Guwahati every one tries to follow the similar technique like which I once tried. I make an effort not to cross the road when there is a heavy traffic for we have no provision of zebra crossings here. And, even if the zebra crossings are present people here don’t make use of them.
There is always a fear in the minds of the people while crossing the roads because the drivers of all types of vehicles show scant regard for traffic rules, and rather prefer to keep driving according to their own sweet wish. If such things continue to happen the day is not too far when the whole city will run without any traffic rules.
Maybe, that is precisely what is happening these days.