When I go down my memory lane, reminiscencing, a few things have left a lasting impression in my mind. One of them is my days at MIT, Manipal- where I did my bachelors in engineering. It was one of those few good things that happen in life. It was definitely a wonderful experience, which I revere & is full of memories to cherish with.
It was August 1989, the college reopened for the new academic year amid light rain. During the initial days at MIT, I had a mixed feeling. On one side there was a sense of feeling good. I was going to be an engineer soon. New milieu, new friends and distanced from parents. On the other hand the prospect of ‘ragging’ loomed large from day one. It could happen any time and anywhere and this caused fear & uncertainty. You never knew what was in store. I certainly believe that ragging makes you a tougher person as long as there are certain limits. What are the limits & who sets them? Is this act of servitude unwarranted? This can be debated, may be some other time...
Taking a leap into the last few days at MIT- it was busy with project work, graffiti days, farewell parties and pondering about the future. Finally, in June 1993 the exams were over & I said good-bye to MIT. As I boarded the early morning 'Day Express' train back home with a pang of nostalgia, I never knew what the future had in store for me.
Traffic congestion has become a perennial problem in Dubai & Sharjah and has become a topic of conversation with all. The traffic snarls on the Sharjah – Dubai road is the worst, may be diabolical. In a city where car is a compulsion, highways look like long parking lots. Business appointments are no longer at 9:30 or 11. We will meet between 9 & 9:30 !
Just to illustrate the gravity of the problem for those who have not experienced this extreme traffic congestion – it can take over two hours to travel a distance of 15km. Normally it should take only 25min. People spend around 4 to 5 hours commuting to office & back every day. It is a grief that is gripping every individual who is living in Sharjah & working in Dubai.
Traffic congestion causes delays & waste of time. This has an impact on the business & personal life. It is estimated that the loss due to traffic congestion for the business sector is around AED4.6billion, as per the figures from the authorities. On the personal front it causes stress, ill health & less time with the family & for social life. These, however, cannot be quantified.
So what are the causes of this extreme traffic woe? There are many- lack of infrastructure (road networks), unprecedented economic activity and exponential growth in the floating population, lack of public transport, improper town planning, ‘bottle-necks’ on the road, road works, improper driving & accidents.
Just to give some figures (2006) :
Population in Dubai – 1.3m
Number of cars registered – 650,000
Cars per 1000 residents – 541
Estimated economic loss – AED4.6b ($1.25b)
Traffic congestion is a fact of life in modern & busy cities. But an interesting phenomenon in Dubai is the unpredictability of the traffic congestion. Generally in modern cities there is traffic congestion during the peak time, when people go to office or leave office. But in Dubai, often peak time can be the whole day.
People are increasingly becoming despondent & so is there a respite in the near future? The answer is negative! But the good news is that the authorities are making a conscious effort to reduce traffic congestion. Huge investments (25b AED) have been made to improve the road network & also the construction of metro project. The first phase of the metro system is expected to be complete by end of 2009. Until then let patience be a virtue in us all...
Thank you, congratulations, good luck, all the best, take care, happy birthday…
We all use these words & phrases, and many more, very often on different contexts. But the point is – are we saying these genuinely, from our heart in its true spirits?
With a multitude of people or most of the times, I believe, it is not. It has become purely mechanical, a mere ritual to utter them. Over a course of time it has evolved as an instinct in us. Or it could be just me.
When you meet an acquaintance & the person tells you that he has an exam on that day, you immediately & automatically say ‘best of luck’ – a classic example of the ‘response to stimuli’ principle. From this stems the following points that need to be pondered.
a) Are we saying this genuinely or consciously ?
b) Even if we do so, will it create an impact ?
Nevertheless since it is not innocuous and might help pep up the person, why not continue until we find the answers.
I wanted to give some expressions to my thoughts & freeze them in time. So decided to dabble into blogging. Hence opened an account & named it 'Random Thoughts'.
