
‘Road authorities not doing their job, traffic engineering is need of the hour’
Interview | Dr Rohit Baluja, president, Institute of Road Traffic Education, New Delhi
What can be done to ensure smooth traffic in an urban setting like Gurgaon?
Traffic engineering is a science which almost all developed countries have used in managing and controlling traffic. In India, and let us take Gurgaon as an example, there is no such concept. Road authorities are not doing this job and the traffic police, by default, is made to do it without the knowledge and expertise.
Gurgaon is a city of daily migrants. How does one create traffic sense in a population that does not have long-term interests in the city?
Migrants and residents all behave in the same manner. The governments are solely responsible. Firstly, roads are not traffic-engineered in a manner that users can obey laws in entirety — most require road signs. Road markings and signals are either missing or not as per the standards. People get a driver’s licence without basic knowledge of traffic rules, the police do not receive training in traffic enforcement and don’t have a strategy to reduce traffic violations. In a free-for-all society, all people behave in the same manner.
Gurgaon has five expressways, more than any of its neighbouring metros. How does this pose characteristic challenges for authorities?
A city like Gurgaon, which is the most important constituent of the National Capital Region, needs to have a traffic management centre with an inclusive traffic engineering wing where officials of the transport, road, police, planning and health department are involved. The National Highway Authority of India built NH-8 without actually keeping the real-time needs of Gurgaon in context. Development is happening without consideration of traffic and transport planning. Houses, malls and multi-storeyed complexes are sanctioned first and transport planning is the last to follow.
The number of traffic policemen has decreased. How will this impact safety?
The role of traffic police should be enforcement. It is not possible to increase police strength at the same rate as the increase in number of motor vehicles. There needs to be a coordination system with due responsibilities defined for each agency involved in traffic management.
Gurgaon lacks pedestrian walkways and cycle tracks. How can they be created without disrupting already built roads?
Our government has ignored the most important, healthy and pollution-free mode of transport — the bicycle. Developed countries like Holland, Sweden, Britain and Germany have demonstrated that bicycling is the most important need of a traffic planning system. India as a developing country needs to encourage bicycling.

Amit Shah attacks CM over gold smuggling case
- Addressing the concluding session of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Surendran’s “Vijay Yatra” in the state capital, Shah posed five questions to the CM.

DMK finalises seat-sharing deal with seven allies in TN
- Addressing a state conference for its cadres on the outskirts of Trichy, Stalin said a DMK government will give ₹1,000 every month to housewives and create a million jobs every month.

After Jammu G23 meet, Tewari hits campaign
- The meeting came a week after Tewari and other letter writers, the group has been tagged the G23, addressed a meeting in Jammu in honour of retired MP Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Over 300 people try to gauge mood for Cong in TN, Kerala
- In Tamil Nadu, the Congress is in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK).

6 states continue to record spike in Covid cases: Centre
- The observations from the Union health ministry come a day after the country reported the largest single-day increase in new Covid-19 infections in two months.

‘Women are not pleading, they are leading’: Smriti Irani
- Smriti Irani says, "I’m the only female politician who’s also recognised by her former vocation. I recognise the bias in that."

2nd half of Budget session may be cut short due to state polls
- An official said that both Houses could meet at 11 am from the second week following the vaccination of eligible MPs.

Five of family found dead in Chhattisgarh
- A suicide note found at the spot said they took the decision because of acute financial distress, an official said.

Govt plan to take over mine auctions faces opposition from a few states
- The changes have been opposed by some states who see it as another attempt by the Centre to take over mining auctions and impose central rules on a state domain.

India must strive to catch the ecological bus
- A re-invigorated biodiversity management policy is India’s survival strategy. At this point in our development trajectory, we don’t pay any heed to either biodiversity or landscape conservation.

Early summer, lack of rain spark fires
- According to Forest Survey of India’s forest fire alert system, there were 2,317 fire points last year between February 26 and March 7, but the figure rose to 53,211 this time after data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) was taken into account.

Woman, 32, mother of two rappels down 155-feet mountain blindfolded in 58 sec

24-yr-old man gets death for rape, murder of 5-yr-old boy

Every breach of promise to marry doesn’t mean rape: SC
