Mindset of the people, sick and inefficient traffic control police personnel, ineffective Imphal Municipal Corporation, unplanned roads, concentrating everything at Paona Keithel, Thangal Keithel, MG Avenue, BT Road and here is the prefect recipe for the traffic circus that one sees in the heart of Imphal on a daily basis. This brings one to the question of what has happened to the order of the Transport Department that no parking of vehicles will be allowed at Khwairamband. The Transport Department’s order followed a decision taken by the Cabinet and it was issued at the fag end of last year and one wonders why this particular order has been given the quiet burial. The traffic snarl that one sees on the roads of Imphal should have been a cause of concern to the Government a long time back, but there is nothing to indicate that any thought has been applied to this. Remember how the traffic signals installed at some traffic islands conked out the minute they were installed. Such sloppiness on the part of the Government plus the general mindset of the people present the perfect recipe for the all round madness that one sees on the roads of Imphal on a daily basis. Other than the madness that one sees on the road, it is also a matter of concern to note young school kids being packed like sardines in all the school vans. What is stopping the Government from coming out with a directive to limit the number of students that a school van can and should carry ? School authorities too need to get together and see how a common directive may be issued to all the van drivers.
The campaign, Traffic Circus : Manipur Style was launched some time back to at least sensitise the Government and the public on the madness that one witnesses on the roads of Imphal on a daily basis. It has been some days since the campaign was launched but so far there is no indication that the Government has taken note of the numerous loopholes. It is the same thing when it comes to the public for all motorists, particularly those behind the wheels of diesel auto rickshaws, are more keen to push their way through, never mind that it inconveniences others. Just take a look at the manner in which half the roads are taken up by vehicles including commercial vehicles, which are parked at the busy commercial centres of Imphal and one will get a fair idea of how traffic management has been reduced to some sort of a joke. Why not set a time frame for the commercial vehicles to enter the commercial centres ? It is practically a free for all on the roads of Imphal and while the number of vehicles has increased manifold thanks to easy loans from financial institutes, this cannot be the alibi for the Government to sleep over the matter. Since not all the roads can be widened, the Government should seriously study the possibility of expanding the commercial centres horizontally. Why not start developing market places at other sites instead of letting everything concentrate at Thangal Keithel, Paona Keithel, BT Road and MG Avenue. Why not shift offices and educational institutes from these places to somewhere at the periphery of Imphal ?
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