I was just reading an article on ‘naked streets’, where a new concept is being tried in a few towns of Europe, where traffic signals are being kept unoperational for a few days/weeks to see whether the number of accidents actually reduces as a result of this or not.
The rationale behind this new concept is that when people themselves are responsible for moving through busy intersections rather than traffic signals, then they become more cautious and responsible, which results in higher alertness and thereby a reduction in accidents.
Europe has studied data for some towns to prove that having no traffic signals will actually lead to a reduction in accidents.
European agencies have been feeling very proud of coming up with this new concept called ‘Naked Streets’. I guess they need to come to India to realize that the concept of ‘Naked Streets’ has existed in India across its length and breadth from a metro city to a small town. Anyone who has every driven anywhere in India will vouch that naked street is not a new phenomenon and it has existed for years now.
If one were to have a bird eye view of two naked streets – one in Europe and one in India, then one would realize how easy it is to travel on these naked streets in Europe when compared to India, as naked streets in India lead to utter chaos as one is not only competing with the four-wheelers, but there are two-wheelers, three-wheelers, bicycles, cows, bulls, dogs and sometimes even trams (Refer Kolkata). It seems that Indians are born with the talent of managing chaos and weaving their way through it, seeing their ability to go through a number of naked streets regularly.
I just hope that the Indian Govt. does not make the idea of ‘Naked Concept’ as an acceptable concept by aping the success of Europe without realizing that we have lived and experienced it and though I do not know whether ‘Naked Streets’ will lead to a reduction in accidents on road or not, but what I am sure is that ‘Naked Streets’ means confusion and lots of traffic jams in India.
