Straight-piped: My lesson from Tokyo
One of my simplest pleasures in life is a good stroll. It's something I incorporate in my daily routine, and definitely make a point to include in my itinerary if I am visiting a new place. Now, back home in India, this means resigning yourself to being treated as the lowest grade of road user.
More often than not, our roads don't have footpaths. If they do, it is either dug up or encroached. So you are always scanning for obstacles, and the calm you went for is never fully there. You also need to be wary of road users, all of whom have an interpretation of our traffic laws that suits them best. A small argument to ask for your rights will tell you this.
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So you can imagine my surprise in Japan, where pedestrians are treated as they should be, and shown the concern that the most vulnerable section of road users should be shown. Pedestrians have a clear and quite high hierarchy in the flow of traffic. Drivers are aware enough to follow this, and show the basic level of concern that should be expected everywhere.
As with most things in that country, there is a well-refined system behind how this works. You drive on the left side of the road, as in India, but the traffic flows quite differently. At crossings, cars going straight ahead on both sides go green together, so bottlenecks are fewer. Those crossing the intersection wait on the right while those turning left are free to go. So you find that stop lights are not unnecessarily long. Everyone knows they will have their turn and cars are constantly in motion.
Of course, there is the infrastructure and awareness to implement this. You have clear markings, not too many cars thanks to the impressive public transport system and drivers that are well versed with the law. Getting and keeping a driver's license in Japan is not a walk in the park.
Pedestrians are factored into this system. You are expected to use footpaths and follow the designated pedestrian traffic lights. Jaywalking is taken seriously. These crossings have blinkers and alarms to let you know exactly how long you have to cross, which adds a layer of safety. Drivers are expected to stop and give way, which given their training they always do. I couldn't find anyone breaking a traffic law in the week that I was there.
While we can be pessimists and say this kind of scenario will never come to pass in India, there is no arguing that it is needed more than ever. Yes, our highways and public transport are getting better, but pedestrians are barely in the conversation. Our cities are some of the most polluted and congested in the world, even when you aren't behind the wheel. It's a crisis that needs addressing from the grassroots, which makes it all the more difficult. But it can be a personal choice, of being more aware and choosing the greater good while on the road, both as a driver and a pedestrian. It may seem like a small thing, but if enough people make these choices, it will bring about real change.
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