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It was a tough Friday for the city’s traffic police department and road safety experts. People hurled questions pointing towards lack of co-ordination and slack traffic management at the Ashram Road office of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where a dialogue on traffic problems and solutions was organized in the evening.

When the “somber” discussion on road safety came to an end, the public question-answer session began with fingers pointed at the traffic cops.

“Why do you harass two-wheeler riders without helmets and allow autorickshaws and municipal buses to break traffic rules at will? Is this not double standards?” asked a member of the audience. “A drive is on to curb this, the impact will be visible only after some time,” was the tame reply.

The other questions were equally stinging: “Some autorickshaws claim to be CNG, yet spew toxic fumes. Why are they not penalised?”

“People are never consulted for pavements or road signs. Speed breakers are constructed at any nook and corner. Each traffic project highlights the lack of co-ordination between AMC and the traffic department. Why?”

At this juncture, the programme moderator had to step in and remind the audience about the time limitation.

Rupesh Shah, president of GCCI had earlier said that lack of public participation is one of the reasons behind the poor state of traffic. “In developed countries, members of public decide the layout of roads along with authorities. The indiscipline among commuters is also a minus point on our roads,” he said.

“Every year, 1.2 lakh people in India die on roads due to accidents. Most of the accidents are due to human errors that can be neglected. We blame others for the mishaps. However, it is the time we take steps to prevent road rage with responsible driving,” said Dr Kanabar in his speech.