Karachi: Lots of Problems - Just One Solution. Train The Masses on the road!

I've been noticing traffic in Karachi for a long time now, and I think there is one solution "proper traffic laws" that can improve the situation of almost all over Karachi by training its people collectively.

My though is that by implementing the law on the road, masses can be trained and when masses are trained the whole society improves. So here is my theory... I'm sharing these thoughts with you so that we can somehow make it work.

OBSERVATIONS:
A couple of my observations about Karachi Traffic are

1. There are lanes, but no concept of lanes.
   
2. There are speed limits, but there is never any limit to speed.
   
3. There are three lights of signals, but only recognizable signal is the beamer from the on coming vehicle.
4. There are left turns and there right turns, but most preferred are the "inappropriate turns".
5. Going "wrong way" is the right way of driving.
6. Use the indicators when done switching lanes or turning
   
7. Honking is just like warm greetings, the more you honk the pleasant it will be considered.
   
8. Any empty space is called "parking", and "No Parking" means "You can park here for just five minutes"
   
9. Those dudes in white uniforms are the most expensive "beggars" in town.
10. Ignore the in-laws as much possible, but ignore the "law" - that's a must.

The above problems are not just on the roads, it stems from the common psychology. It starts from the brain and come out as decisions which later becomes a norm when it is collectively executed. Following are my observations on what in-the-head factors lead to the above mentioned "decisions".

1. Lanes: Ignorance and lack of realization for why these cat-eyes are installed. They are taken as just bright shiny things on the roads which looks so cool!! People tend not to accept that the lanes are supposed to keep the driver inside his boundaries of appropriate road decorum. Let me tell you a funny story, I asked a friend of mine while sitting in his car that why are you driving ON the lane and the cat-eyes are in the center of your car. He said, it feels good, its almost as if playing Pacman! I mean that's ridicules!
2. Speed: They seem to not realize that the faster you drive the quicker you reach death! Accidents at the high speeds can squish your body like a cockroach under your boots. Not just yourself, but someone else on the road as well. Hence it can be titled as no respect for human life or humanity.
3. Signals: This is called the educated illiteracy! Red is to stop, yellow is for caution and green is to go! But no, lets just look if there is someone ahead then we'll stop if not then just keep going. They fail to realize that at the speed of 60-80 km/h it will take milliseconds for the other object to appear in front of your car and in a fraction of seconds, even before your head sends the signals to your legs to apply breaks, you're either gotten killed or have killed.
4. Turns: When I am driving at a speed of 120 km/h in the right-most lane and I know I want to take a left turn just ahead, I will wait for the last minute to make my turn without using indicators and make an abrupt turn cutting the path of all the two lanes on my left. Because I don't care about anyone else! So what if the person next in lane had to suddenly apply breaks and so what if the 5 or 10 cars bump into each other, one after the other. Who cares I got my way! This is called total disregard for other people and surroundings.
5. Wrong Way: Narrow mindedness! Why in the world would the government seal this turn so that I have to go all the way through there to get here!. I will not realize that it is for the benefit of all of us on the road and going a few meters ahead won't bankrupt me for fuel usage! and I might just end up on an open road. But no! I'm going to go the wrong way, my headlights won't work, I am on a two-wheeler with my wife and 5 kids. The hell with them! I'm saving time and money!
6. No indicators: Clumsiness and laziness! I'll just turn and if the person whose path I'm intersecting, is bothered, he'll just honk, if he honks then I'll think about using the indicators if not then ... aaanh!
   
7. Honking: Misbehaving, self importance and impatience! I will shout on the person who is in front of me because that's just who I am. I'm walking and if someone is already walking in front of me then I'll just yell at him till he moves his butt out of my way. Because I am special and I am the king of the world - rest of them are just tiny stinky rats.
8. Parking: No sense at all- Nonsense people! Hey! I see an empty space by the footpath, lets park here. 3 hours later: a very angry man is waiting, frustrated about the fact that he couldn't get his car out on the road because someone parked behind his car... Then I'll go like: Oh sorry I didn't notice your car. Or may be I find myself with shattered windows of my car and a nice big dent on the side. Because I did not look around before I decided to park. OR I may not find my car there at all because I parked in a NO PARKING spot. I'll go to the station, I won't pay and I will argue that I parked there just for 2 minutes. Then I'll try to bribe the cop by taking him in the corner or offer him some "chai pani"
9. Traffic Police: Corruption! This is the fault of all, the traffic agents, the drivers and the traffic police department. They don't pay enough and expect a man to stand and implement "law and order" on the road all day and all night... He in turns need a break and the money... So when he pulls someone over and he is offered something that goes directly in his own pocket...why would he refuse to take it!? Because who knows who he stops next, shows him a card of some DSP, ISP, any Goddamn major, general... and he will have to say "sorry sir, app ko paraishan kiya"
   
10. Law: I am above the law! This is the mentality that has been prevailing here since a long time. Having the ability to change or alter or differ from anything that the law has set, is actually considered as "powerful" and is a sign of "status". Having a custom-made number plate no number plate at all, is "cool".

THE IDEOLOGY:
By implementing the proper law on the roads just doesn't make the traffic better, it also train the human brain to not make a decision to do all the 10 things mentioned above. So my point is, what is a better way to train the masses to not be narrow minded - for example? What is a better way to train the masses to be more considerate about others, their lives and the lives of others? Is there any better way to teach the common person that he is not above the law?

I do not know the exact number of people who come on the road every day, but my guess would be at least 80-90 percent. There is no age limit to this, every one from ~13 years till 90 years is on the road one way or the other. There is no better way to train all of them at the same time in a better way than to teach them on the roads.

Just by implementing the law and order on the road you can...

1. eliminate ignorance and lack of realization
2. bring respect for human life or humanity
3. cure the educated-illiteracy factor
   
4. reduce the disregard for other people and surroundings
5. broaden narrow-mindedness
6. rectify clumsiness and laziness
7. treat misbehavior, self importance and impatience
8. promote common sense
9. fight corruption
10. erase "I am above the Law" psychology

THE SOLUTION
The solution is very very simple. We have to see who implements the law and order, those are the white cops. So what can make the white cops be honest? Apart from the change in upper management, there is something that can be done in the way these people are paid. For that, the government has to play its part. I can tell what the government has to do, which, in my opinion is not that hard to do and that "could" be a win win situation.

The solution lies in regular salary + commission. Just like our sales people, they get commission on a specific number of customers. The same way, if the cops are given commission on how many "valid tickets" he generates then it will solve all the problems.

So if anyone does anything from the list above, the cops will pull him over, the cop could not be bribed because he needs his commission. The law-breaker will have to go and submit the ticket at the station, which will create realization in him to not repeat this mistake again. In short the money goes out of the drivers pocket and goes into the Sargent's pocket BUT through a legal channel. In the meantime the public learns to behave and gets trained. When they are trained they will not just behave on the roads but in their homes, offices, in families, in public places and in any other social gathering.

THE RESULTS
The chain of favoring outcomes go long way into the lives of everyone. Just to state one, Patience - Lets just say, a man wakes up an hour late in the morning for office, first of all, he won't yell at his wife and kids because of his mental pressures of getting late, then he won't drive fast on roads and won't put his or other's lives in danger, then when he reaches office, his boss might not yell at him, if he does, he has the brains and the energy to handle the situation calmly. When he is calmed out the situation and himself, he will perform better at work, when he perform better at work he may be able to put an extra hour to cover up the morning tasks. And when he gets home late, his wife won't yell at him because he didn't yell at her in the morning while leaving and she understands why he is late. So she gives him a nice dinner and they live happily ever after :)


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Does all this make sense? I know it is a big theory and might seem impossible or maybe ridiculous to be done. But I think that it could be a long-term solution. Please mention any points that are illogical or something that I have missed. I'd love to discuss more on this so tell me your thoughts on this. I hope we can make a difference.