Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Mistaken for TAXI Day?


With the improved and advanced health facility, the growth rate of world population is on hike even though the means to educating people about the benefits of having smaller family is given equal and due importance. Such rise is definitely leading to rise in ravenous greed of every individual for feeding or presentation of oneself. It is us – the human being – that is disturbing the Mother Nature and inviting all sorts of calamities – big or small. While some remain negligent about their naivety, there are others who are worrisome and already back on their horses educating their kind on the impacts from smokes or any other elements (contributing to natural hazard) to the environment and people, eventually. Countries across the globe are exploring the urgency and need in paying a serious heed to such threats and most have already placed proper precaution or generated awareness for the well being of people and conservation of clean environment that needed to be handed down the coming generations.

Bhutan has also been doing the same, if not similar. First came the banning of smoking and chewing tobaccos. Then, of recent, observing every Tuesday as the Pedestrian Day. It is always a thrill to invoke and truly analyze for yourself whenever an ‘alien’ is born in human town. There were voices of likes and dislikes of observing Pedestrian Day to which I remained a complete negligent. However, an hr ago, I ran into a random conversation with two of my friends that somehow led to and ignited about the Pedestrian Day. 

After breaking up with our conversation, we headed our own ways. I made my way to home but the words we shared about the Pedestrian Day kept ringing back as though someone inside my head kept replaying that very conversation. Now, that I am sitting on this not-so-comfy-chair and trying to scribble down something I should let it out, I am beginning to mull over and question if Tuesdays are merely Pedestrian Day for I see lots of yellow-painted-roof with four wheelers “TAXI” making rounds everywhere I land my eyes on? May be “Taxi Day” might be a better substitute and best -nym given for Tuesday. And one more thing, if almost equal or equivalent numbers of vehicles move around as much as pedestrians, then I am afraid yet compelled to confront that this is NOT a Pedestrian Day. In fact, we are observing taxis’ everywhere. Hence, and for logical reasoning and in my opinion this day better be observed as TAXI Day. 

Pedestrian Day is becoming hassle and causing perplexity among the private wheel runners and police personnel who always seem on uneasy-feeling-duty whenever the former try trespassing via restricted routes, the latter objects and make the wheel turn around and head the direction it came from. From my observation, irrespective of what mood the private wheel runners wear initially, the objection and NO ENTRY signal by police personnel into restricted routes compels those behind the wheel to take up the look of and throw few words of dissatisfaction that can be only lip read and not heard. 
As much as I am commendable about the Government ushering and introducing such brilliant contribution towards the conservation of environment and reduction of fuel expenses during such crucial hr of crisis – the rupee crisis, I am of equivalent stand that the synonym given to Tuesday is less pragmatic and mere delusion.   
If we are to truly observe the Pedestrian Day, then all wheels, exceptional being ambulances and fire brigades that too under emergency act, should be free of its wheelers and ONLY PEDESTRIANS should be on move – either for the entire day or specified length of hr in a day. Then, hands in air, hats off, we are indeed observing the Pedestrian Day.  

p.s This article was written on Tuesday at 12:30ish in the afternoon. Due to some technical error, the uploading and publishing was deferred.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Tea-pea.
here is some more to compliment what you have written..Firstly the P day has become a Problem Day for residents of Thimphu at least.(walking small kids to school way to long distance.. taxi too expensive..and if u try taking ur vehicle u need to take it out before 8am but the school doesn't open then..so parents with small kids are suffering).... Secondly fuel saving has become Fuel Spending cost in the mist of no entries and lack of parking..we seem to run over all the ring road increasing our fuel consumption than the usual practice... Thirdly, can't get a single workdone on that day coz u lose time walking than working as we must understand in our context we gotta run to few offices to get one work done.... I must say..the intention to have P-day is good but then atleast in Thimphu the area covered is so unreasonable that the impact is directly on the middle class and the poor.. I as a citizen must say my GNH is truly gone down.... the day feels like a comunist state with policing all over...and P-day is Problem Day which is making us Poorer by extra taxi charges ...M sure the decision makers are enjoyin the P-day for they get a change to walking rather than usual Prado rides more over they don't need to run from offices to offices to get works done...but in reality it's a extra burden to the lower income groups like me and it's huge sacrifice in the name of environment..sometimes i wonder why do we always have to sacrifice...we don't emit much carbon as others do....so i suggest the only happy person is the taxi drivers and decision makers who lost some weight.

Tea Pea said...

Thanks for the compliment la. It is indeed becoming a Problem Day, as you put it. The concerned authorities need to pay some serious and immediate attention to this rising issue. If its for the benefit of people, then at least people should be better educated on the matter and be informed that it constitute towards the building of GNH or individual happiness, which I think is more important. Researching on the consequences of implementing such or any other events is what we the decision makers never do. Once the public is excluded from giving their opinions, then the practice of Good Governance is missed out. Anyway, lets hope someone hears us out and better alternatives be put in place.