The Only Major City With No Traffic Lights

Dr. Fiaz Fazili unravels the core Kashmiri attribute that makes Srinagarites a unique breed


We The Srinagarites

Every time I visit my homeland, one thing for sure occupies my mind for most part of the trip: Traffic mess. Reasons are simple. Every plan of mine to go out, like every other Srinagarite, is dependant on the traffic regulation. But the word regulation I never find existing.

Has our City done away with traffic signboards? Don’t we need a direction as people elsewhere do? Can we move directionless? Don’t we need some signal system to convey when to stop, start or accelerate?

In short don’t we need to be disciplined?

Well everything needs to be disciplined. But that needs a system. Getting back to the topic, I have a question what one should ask in the absence of system. No signal lights, no traffic management. What is this? Freedom, a complete Azadi? And are the streets without traffic signs and signals executable?

Then there’s another issue. For this is want to take you out of Srinagar. Hire a taxi in London, New York or even New Delhi, the routine is the same: You cruise along, and the dollars and rupees rack up on the meter based on time and distance.

But in Srinagar, it’s altogether a different story. People hiring cabs here never find a meter working because fares are arbitrary and as decided by the cab driver. This has been a routine for decades and authorities have obviously failed to act.

Human society cannot exist without discipline, that is, willing obedience to laws, rules and regulations. Even birds and beasts have sense of discipline.

Obedience, therefore, is the backbone of discipline. The members of a team or body must obey the rules which they themselves frame, willingly and readily. The western countries are much disciplined. After the World War 2, countries like Japan, England, France and Germany were badly shaken.

Indiscriminate bombardment razed cities to the ground. But by discipline and collective efforts these countries have raised stronger than ever.

Any football coach will tell you that when you’re down at half-time and getting whipped all over the field to focus on the basics of blocking and tackling. A golf coach will tell you to keep your head down and your left arm straight. A business coach will tell you to cut

your expenses and grow your customer base. Getting back to the basics is the surest way to resolve any crisis.

So discipline is required at its best. Discipline on all fronts. Let’s stop taking driving down the Srinagar streets a race of ego, where nobody is ready to give side to anybody. Nobody is ready to wait for others to move.

Let’s start adhering to discipline on our front. Let’s start self efforts to streamline traffic. But then let those at the helm of affairs not miss to change what has been a same and stale old story of traffic management void of traffic signals, sign boards and of-course operational meters for cabs.

Traffic regulation needs to everybody’s priority. Because for now what hinders Srinagar’s prosperity the most, apart from other hiccups, is the terror of traffic jams. It makes precious time go waste in the gridlocks. The roads are chocked, emergencies can’t reach hospital intime.