Anil kumar.R
Direction Sign Boards
When a visitor comes to the city , it will be very difficult for him to find the way. There are not enough sign boards on the roads showing directions. It is the same case in almost all cities in Kerala. If a person starts from Thiuvananthapuram Railway station for Kollam he will have to ask for the route in most of the junctions and traffic Signals. There are more number of advertisement boards than information boards in the city. Also providing city map in the bus waiting sheds showing the current location will help a lot for the visitors and tourists.
Bus Route Numbers.
The destination boards of the buses are in malayalm. A tourist or a visitor from another state who doesn’t know Malayalam will not be able to make which bus is going where. He /She has to depend on others who may or may not understand his language. Providing Route numbers in the destination boards is not a herculean task. Even in the nearby Kanyakumari Districts buses are running with route numbers. I cannot find any reason for not adopting such a mechanism in Kerala.
Spitting on the Roads
Compared to North India this habit is less in Kerala. People used to spit out the red colored betel juice every nook and corner. But now a days people using betel and pan masala is very less. Still people used to spit on roads without any consideration for others. Like smoking in Public places, penalty is to be imposed on spitting in public places .Posters may be exhibited at prominent places to warn against spitting on roads. Proper module can be introduced in School curriculum to impart education in social manners in the school children at the younger stage itself.
Queue for Buses
When a bus reaches a bus stop , people will throng into the doors , will push away others in a frenzy to get into the bus as if it is their last chance to escape. The elderly people and the children will be crushed in this process with this ulterior selfish motive. Whether it is the matter of getting into bus or train it is the same . This is not a positive symbol for a state with high literacy and cultural values. Hence maintaining queue in a bust stop is very essential and should be made mandatory. Boards can be installed in bus stops insisting on the formation of queues. Occasionally the service of Police men also can be sought to insist on ques. But the habit is to be self driven one rather than forced by others. Also a seated person can be charged more (For example 25% extra) at the time of issuing ticket to the passenger so as to reduce the madness for scrambling for seats. It will be a an additional revenue source for KSRTC.
Begging for Livelihood
Begging may be probably prohibited by law. But it is still scenery in foot paths. There is no doubt that this is to be discouraged. If the begging is due to un avoidable circumstances we ma y try to help them with the help of social organizations. A help line number to intimate the begging practices may be displayed in prominent places and a registration mechanism can be put in place for such information and follow up. Social justice department, Municipal corporations and NGOs can do a great help in this matter.
Using Horns
Many of the drivers, especially those of private buses will blow horn un necessarily as a matter of habit. Even in tightly packed roads, where there is no way to give side they continue to blow loud horns. The altitude is quite annoying and blowing horn unless it is absolutely necessary may be discouraged. Information boards in this respect can displayed as traffic boards. Once a person climbs into the seat of a driver he is getting drastically changed in his emotional outbursts and behavior. He considers all others on road including pedestrians as his opponents and expresses animosity towards them. I do not know how to change this behavior.
Sign boards in Malayalam
We can see the majority of the shop names and sign boards are in English. If you walk along a main road in the city it is difficult to see boards in Malayalam. You may wonder in which place you are living. Not only are we using English as a script, but also for impressing the onlookers. Encouragement for providing Malayalam sign boards may be given by allowing small concessions in taxes for Commercial establishments.
There may be many more items, and many of them may be more important than these items. Let us try for a better city where there is a consideration for every human being, love for every element of nature and where the quest for common good rules over selfish pursuits.
We shall overcome some day…………….