That discipline which corrects the eagerness of
worldly passions, which fortifies the heart with virtuous principles, which
enlightens the mind with useful knowledge, and furnishes to it matter of
enjoyment from within itself, is of more consequence to real felicity than all
the provisions which we can make of the goods of fortune. (ROBERT BRIDGES)
It was a hot Friday afternoon, when Deka (not exactly
his name), a Driver of an Ashiaman bound tro-tro
bus struggling to keep to his lane in a mild afternoon traffic jam, got irked
and removed a cane from the side of
his seat to lash one driver who carelessly crossed him on the George Walker
Bush Highway or N1 Highway.
The other driver who was jolted by the crack of the
wipe, obviously oblivious of the inconvenience he caused Deka, who had to
abruptly apply his brakes, got out of his car to confront Deka.
The confrontation turned into a mini fight, a street
fight of a sought, between the two drivers which caused a brief traffic. The ensuing
brawl became interesting as it drew a marmot crowd and cheerful onlookers, some
only interested in the winner, while others asked what caused and not why the
two drivers were fighting.
But for the timely intervention of the police who
happen to be passing by, the confrontation would have lasted longer. In the
aftermath of the scuffle, Deka was unreservedly condemned, criticised and
chastised by the court of public opinion, who impatiently or hurriedly
pronounced judgement on Deka. Most of
them could not phantom what right Deka had to use a cane on the other Driver.
Although Deka might not be right in using the cane on
the other driver, there is this alibi that the other driver was equally guilty
of careless driving which provoked Deka's action.
Indeed, Deka's case could be one such example of
indiscipline on our roads, however
concerns of alarming road accidents, caused by traffic offences
including wrong overtaking, overloading, indiscriminate parking and offloading
of passengers, share disregard for road traffic rules and impatience, should be
a wake-up call to all to join hands in ensuring greater discipline our roads.
Often times discipline, tolerance, honesty and respect
for one another are usually considered in many societies to be important
virtues that are necessary for its development. This is based on the fact every
discipline individual would naturally be lawful, do right to all manner of
people and help ensure the good of all, but is it the situation on our roads
and in our society.
Indiscipline at a glance
Indiscipline, intolerance, impatience and disrespect are
a common place on our roads in many parts of the country, where tro-tro or commercial vehicles and
perhaps many private drivers compete, not just for the space on the roads but
trade insults in equal measure. It is like a jungle war fare, where the
fiercest or the strongest predominates.
Some indiscipline acts of
motorist
In fact, no rule seems to work on our roads. As a
result almost every motorist manages to meander through dense traffic each day,
or use unapproved routes to cut-corners and reach their destination on time.
The traffic caused at the Lapaz, Kwashiman and Awoshie
intersections of the N1 Highway during rush hours, and perhaps other similar
ones on other roads is worrying. The impatience, desperation and frustration
make travelling on these roads a little scaring if not unfriendly.
It sometimes gets interesting when you watch the
bumper-to-bumper nature in which the vehicles move and wonder what happens to
the rest of the vehicles should one breakdown? Your guess is as right as mine.
Most tro-tro
drivers, their assistants (mates) and private car owners daily flout road traffic
rules, thus compounding an already worse situation on our roads. Aside being
very insulting, they could be cited stopping and picking passengers at
unauthorised places, to the extent of even stopping in the middle of the road
to offload and pick them.
The disrespect some drivers and their ‘mates’ metes
out to the passengers is worrying. By these acts passengers are made to feel it
is a privilege to board their vehicles, instead of a service they pay for.
Aside the wrong overtaking, indiscriminate changing of
lanes and other unsightly acts, there is this wired incident that suggests authorities
must designate places for people to urinate on our roads.
The other day I saw a neatly dressed man in a black
three piece suit who packed his car on the outer lane of the under bridge of
the Dimples overpass of the N1 Highway urinating.
Another category of indiscipline road users are the
motor riders commonly called ‘Okada or ‘Zamaja’. Some of them inexperience as they may be risk
their lives and those of their passengers without wearing crush helmets, ply our roads in the city and in most remote
areas with such speed as if they were in race.
The manner in which they dangerously weave through
traffic and their shear disregard for traffic lights, ridding through red-lights,
poses a danger if a not a nuisance to other road users.
Passengers act and inactions
There was another scuffle I witnessed between a
drivers’ mate and a Macho guy I
boarded a vehicle with from Darkuman to Circle. It was around the time the new
fare were being charged as a result of adjustment in petroleum prices. The rude
mate who was charging 100 per cent increment on the fares would not rescind his
decision, so the Macho guy taught him
a bitter lesson when the mate insulted him. Although not the right way to deal
with the situation, the Macho guy did
the job for many passengers who were being exploited.
Sometimes, outspoken passengers who raise their voices
against such acts including wrong overtaking, overloading, over-speeding and
exploitation are branded ‘too-known’. And yet many passengers are to blame for
condoning with this indiscipline acts.
It is true that the ‘fama nyame’ or ‘Nyame be twea wo ka’ attitude of most of them is
not helping matters. It is even appalling that those who know the law
unfortunately condone with the drivers and their mates in perpetuating this
illicit acts, just because they want to get to their destination early.
Littering is another indiscipline act numerous passengers
commit daily. One can sight filthy debris of post-dated posters and banners
streets, as well as black polythene and sachet bags, littering our beautiful bus
terminals, streets and roads. These are the same filth that choke most of our drains
and cause floods whenever it rains. Visit the 37, Ashaiman, Atimpokou,
Asamankese, Bolga, Ejura, Kejetia, Nkrumah Circle, Takoradi, Tudu, Tema, Techiman
and Tamale bus terminals in the evenings to have a look the filth there.
Pedestrians and other road
users
They are sometimes impatient to wait for the green
light before crossing the road. They sometimes do this carelessly at unapproved
routes without recourse to whether those places were designated lawns or
gardens. At Nkrumah Circle for instance near the Pedestrian Mall linking the
Ghana Commercial Bank Tower, pedestrians have created unauthorised routes on
the lawns. At the Lapaz, Achimota, and
the Kwashiman sections of the N1 Highway some pedestrian are sometimes seen scaling
or jumping the walls or road railings risking their lives in the process.
Often, they are seen calling passengers to board
vehicles at bus stops. These guys for the purpose of this discourse referred to
as ‘bus stop bookmen,’ have virtually tuned our bus stops into mini bus
terminals that often turn chaotic and worsen the traffic situation at such
places as Lapaz, Shiashi, Achimota Overhead, Kwashiman. Vehicles that pack and
load at these bus stops for hours instead of the normal two to five minutes is
gross indiscipline to road safety.
Another act of indiscipline is perpetuated by those
who do business on the pedestrians walk ways or bus stops along the roads. They
compete with the pedestrians for the little space and woe betides any
pedestrians who steps on their wares. Due to this, pedestrians are forced to share
the routes meant for moving vehicles. You can imagine the risk.
Usually spotted shabbily dressed, profusely sweating
under a merciless sun but strive to push their truck loads of scrapes through
traffic jams, lawns and meander through unapproved routes in a busy city like
Accra. The truck pushers who are claiming a right to using the roads are a
common phenomenon in Accra and their movement is causing inconvenience not just
to motorist but pedestrians and perhaps law enforcers.
The activities of beggars, street hawkers’ and
roadside market operators are but a nuisance to roads users. They all seem to
be operating on the blind side of the law and one wonders whether personnel of
the law enforcement agency are checking their activities.
Law enforcers
Right conduct of law enforcers is paramount to
ensuring greater discipline. But it is worrying when these officers, who are
suppose to correct the ills and bring sanity on our road, turn round to condone,
collect and sometimes extort various sums of monies from these offending
drivers. What kind of rule or convention for instance allows officers to always
check driver’s particulars at the rear of their vehicles?
In any case
there is cause to worry whether the efforts of the few good Police personal out
there will actually salvage the carnage on our roads.
As for the spot fine yet to be introduced and other
road traffic laws, only time will tell whether they could effectively help
improve discipline and restore sanity on our roads.
Contractors and government
Commitment to standards in building lasting monuments
is only a tribute we pay to our profession as artists, artisans, architect,
contractors, civil engineers, technocrats or sculptures. Be that as it may, the
government as the organ that awards these road contracts must make funds
available and must in the good name of GHANA insist on long lasting quality
roads, instead of cutting corners to provide a number of shoddy roads that
cries for repairs now and then.
Contractors as professionals must resolve to build
better roads for Ghanaians to use and not roads that would kill them, for what
is the use of monuments that brings death to a people that it seeks to help as
aspire to greater heights?
Conclusion
Discipline
according to William E. Homan quoted in Readers
Digests, 1969 is important simply because we live in an organized society where,
if you have not learned life's requirements at early age, you will be taught
later, not by those whose love tempers the lesson but by strangers who could
not care less about the harm they do to your personality.
Homan's insight
only goes to confirm the fact that the longer we allow the canker of
indiscipline to eat into our social fabric, the more we pay the price for it.
It therefore behooves us as a people to improve our lots, based on a discipline
citizenry. We cannot have short cuts to develop this nation but instill the
virtues of discipline, respect for each other, patience and tolerance of
dissenting views.
So far as discipline
is concerned, it controls the individual by appealing to his reason and
conscience and his self-respect. Therefore parents, adults, schools and
government must make a conscious commitment at instilling the virtues of
discipline in the mind and hearts of Ghanaians. This is because discipline is a
necessary ingredient in national development and thus Ghanaians ought to
remember their outmost responsibility of being disciplined to make a Ghana a better
place for all to live.
Writer’s
email: kybem11@yahoo.com
kwesiyirenkyi.blogspot.com
