Plying through Kohima road almost every week days in a friend’s motorcycle makes one feel closer to the reality of our roadways. The hazards of air pollution, unpatched roads and un-sanitized waste garbage become more real to one’s eye. The dust particles plus the smoke emitted through trucks and cars adds to the colour of our day. The time consumed and the stress of hearing the honking of cars and vehicles pollutes the mind. Commuters travelling through cosy and comfortable cars won’t get to know the real picture of it.
On one particular traffic snarl-up, my friend commented that the traffic woes would definitely reduce immensely if motorcycles and two-wheelers were encouraged in our towns. I thought that was a very good idea. Look at our towns today, four wheelers are all lined up in queue everyday as if we’re all on a solemn religious pilgrimage. The traffic woe undoubtedlyswells up on all important public and sporting events. Therefore, encouraging two wheelers in our towns will help the denizens to become more sensitive to the problems an average common man suffers daily. Not only that, it will ease the traffic jams tremendously. Of course, there are also hazards relating to two-wheelers due to lack of safety protectionsand pollution free emission but if the use of it increased, then safety measures and filteringdevicecan also be implemented on an austere basis. Also, cycling to offices and colleges would be a sight of beauty to behold. It will improve the well-being and fitness of the community as a whole. The initiative to promote motorcycles and cycling in our state is a commendable one.
A detailed study by Belgian consultancy Transport & Mobility Leuven has found that a slight shift in traffic composition from cars to motorcycles significantly reduces traffic congestion and emissions. The study, which was presented at the Association des ContructeursEuropeens de Motorcycles (ACEM) 2012 Conference in Brussels, found that if 10 percent of all private cars were replaced by motorcycles in the traffic flow of the test area, total time losses for all vehicles decreased by 40 percent and total emissions reduced by 6 percent.
A 25 percent modal shift from cars to motorcycles was found to eliminate congestion entirely.One of the Vietnamese city, Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon), of 7.5 million people and nearly five million motorcycles, and by far the most motorcycle-dependent traffic environment has a very narrow street. This city could not function without enhanced traffic density and traffic flow of the motorcycle. Though cars are still huge in numbers, the vast majority of traffic is made up of motorcycles.Even in the peak hours on the main thoroughfares, where a commuter cansee a tangle of motorcycles for miles in front of them, the traffic flow remains remarkably high.
Browsing through this new research by Belgian consultancy Transport and Mobility Leuven, it indicates that motorcycle commuting reduces traffic congestion and emission. Not only that, environmental awareness is directly or indirectly imprinted into the minds of the motorcyclist which is quite positive.Itcreates a healthy atmosphere in the making. The use of motorcycle (including bicycles) will create a free-flow of vehicular movements in our towns. The space for parking will also be condensed greatly. The roads, if expanded, then the need of using two-wheelers can be out of topic. But for now, the only possible solution to the traffic congestion is to encourage the use of more motorcycle and bicycles in our towns.
Vebu Khamo Kohima Bible College.
