The fault... is not in our stars
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Mahmudur Rahman
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves..."
— William Shakespeare
There was a time when this scribe questioned a teacher about whether or not there was a deeper meaning to that what was written or said by those hallowed by history. The answer was a fairly emphatic no but there was a 'but' to it. Literature, as he explained was meant to stimulate thought.
Perhaps that is one retort to the often bandied statement that 'we were fated to face this'. Nonetheless the more gentile recourse to round-table sessions, seminars, symposiums and the like that look at the irritant that is our traffic snarls produce the predictable set of proposals. Lanes, traffic signals, traffic police, parking space so on and so forth. But if thought truly was to be stimulated, a different picture would emerge because more often than not it is a piece rather than the whole that is debated.
The same group of persons spending studious time on the issue are oblivious to the fact that the missus or the driver who has taken their children to school is probably flouting the traffic laws by either parking slap-bang in front of the school gates or parallel parking so as to cause a jam by itself. Nine out of ten time no specific direction to any specific effect are given. And the very schools, on which parents and guardians converge come admission season so that their off-spring can be educated beyond the knowledge of books, bear little responsibility of their own.
A reputable school in Gulshan has a simple sign attached to its gate that reads "No hawkers allowed here". Sadly there's nothing about parking in front of the gate. While a lot has evolved in teaching methods and curriculum of these schools it would appear that no one has given any thought to their responsibility in addressing the issue of ever increasing cars that bring the youngsters to schools. The parent-teacher sessions are meant to create a bond and communicate the finer aspect of children's education. One wonders why these sessions cannot also look at some simple examples of say car-pooling by which class-mates or even junior-seniors living in proximity share each others' cars. That would cut down the number of cars, still ensure safety and probably help in resolving to some extent the crisis.
Instead, the main roads and the shopping malls sport little stands tied neatly in rows with the no-parking sign and drivers simply look to the next alternative - - parking cars on pavements. When in the mood the traffic police haul out their scant resources such as wreckers in fining vehicles but are themselves guilty of lining the streets in front of police stations with vehicles that have been seized for some misdemeanour or the other. They too don't have adequate space to park these vehicles.
Realtors must be regulated in to providing at three times free-parking space than required in apartment complexes, shopping malls and multi-storeyed office buildings. Schools either have to come up with their own transport arrangements or car-pooling by parents or must have their authorized licence to operate, based on the parking space and children play grounds they can provide. And model police stations envisioned by the Home Minister must have adequate space for parking of seized vehicles. Mass parking facilities must be ensured for the privately owned public transport so that roads are not choked and the footpaths must be regained control of for those whom they were meant-the pedestrians. (E-mail : mahmudrahman@gmail.com)
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves..."
— William Shakespeare
There was a time when this scribe questioned a teacher about whether or not there was a deeper meaning to that what was written or said by those hallowed by history. The answer was a fairly emphatic no but there was a 'but' to it. Literature, as he explained was meant to stimulate thought.
Perhaps that is one retort to the often bandied statement that 'we were fated to face this'. Nonetheless the more gentile recourse to round-table sessions, seminars, symposiums and the like that look at the irritant that is our traffic snarls produce the predictable set of proposals. Lanes, traffic signals, traffic police, parking space so on and so forth. But if thought truly was to be stimulated, a different picture would emerge because more often than not it is a piece rather than the whole that is debated.
The same group of persons spending studious time on the issue are oblivious to the fact that the missus or the driver who has taken their children to school is probably flouting the traffic laws by either parking slap-bang in front of the school gates or parallel parking so as to cause a jam by itself. Nine out of ten time no specific direction to any specific effect are given. And the very schools, on which parents and guardians converge come admission season so that their off-spring can be educated beyond the knowledge of books, bear little responsibility of their own.
A reputable school in Gulshan has a simple sign attached to its gate that reads "No hawkers allowed here". Sadly there's nothing about parking in front of the gate. While a lot has evolved in teaching methods and curriculum of these schools it would appear that no one has given any thought to their responsibility in addressing the issue of ever increasing cars that bring the youngsters to schools. The parent-teacher sessions are meant to create a bond and communicate the finer aspect of children's education. One wonders why these sessions cannot also look at some simple examples of say car-pooling by which class-mates or even junior-seniors living in proximity share each others' cars. That would cut down the number of cars, still ensure safety and probably help in resolving to some extent the crisis.
Instead, the main roads and the shopping malls sport little stands tied neatly in rows with the no-parking sign and drivers simply look to the next alternative - - parking cars on pavements. When in the mood the traffic police haul out their scant resources such as wreckers in fining vehicles but are themselves guilty of lining the streets in front of police stations with vehicles that have been seized for some misdemeanour or the other. They too don't have adequate space to park these vehicles.
Realtors must be regulated in to providing at three times free-parking space than required in apartment complexes, shopping malls and multi-storeyed office buildings. Schools either have to come up with their own transport arrangements or car-pooling by parents or must have their authorized licence to operate, based on the parking space and children play grounds they can provide. And model police stations envisioned by the Home Minister must have adequate space for parking of seized vehicles. Mass parking facilities must be ensured for the privately owned public transport so that roads are not choked and the footpaths must be regained control of for those whom they were meant-the pedestrians. (E-mail : mahmudrahman@gmail.com)