If you thought Amdavadis were habituated to breaking traffic rules, here’s something that might change your mind. According to a recent survey (In Feb’07), a staggering 69 per cent of the city’s drivers adhere to traffic rules.

Conducted by an international firm Synovate Research, the driver-satisfaction survey looked at road-related behaviour of drivers from Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

Coming in second only to the capital in driving safety, parking, road width, potholes, handling by traffic police, functioning of lights, pollution checks and speeding and lane changing, the final figure puts Amdavadis in a good light. Bangalore trails behind, with only 11 percent drivers adhering to road rules. Apart from this, the Amdavadi is also a relatively happy driver, with a good 61 per cent satisfied with the traffic situation. In comparison, this figure is 33 per cent in Chennai, 18 percent for Mumbai, and a paltry five 5 per cent in Bangalore. The survey also shows that people are generally satisfied with pollution control measures.

A faculty member at the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, CN Ray attributes the satisfaction level to the widening of existing roads and the addition of new roads and flyovers that contributed to the increase in the average speed of vehicles. “Drivers’ satisfaction is directly proportionate to the increase in speed and this is visible here,’’ he said. The survey shows more than half drivers in the city happy with speeding and lane changing.

Even content drivers have pet peeves, and about 58 per cent of Amdavadi drivers are unhappy about the potholes on city roads. Surprisingly, almost an equal number remain unaffected by the congested parking lots.

Source: Expressindia.com

Entry Filed under: Other Traffic News