An unlikely lesson from my travels

It was a much-needed break, which came in during the long weekend around Christmas. Away from the daily routine of a city life, it provided the perfect opportunity to unwind, reflect on the year gone by and introspect on the one lying ahead. The road trip had a variety of experiences, not all as expected. The landscape changed from the hustle bustle of city life to the quite remotes of Rajasthan where lives pass with the pace of the day – marked by the beautiful orange hue during dawn and dusk, ending with a night sky that reflects the magnitude of where we belong.

The time away from the city provided insights and reiterated the urgency of contributing to a better and cleaner environment, both in the individual capacity and collectively as an organisation or society. However, taking a road trip bought us to a decisive moment and realise another responsibility – discipline, especially road discipline.

Indiscipline on the roads in terms of speed management, lane driving and road etiquettes not only lead to fatal accidents but have larger implications, both financial and environmental in nature. Frequency of collisions across roads in India is one of the highest in the world. There has been a consistent effort by Government and private institutions to communicate the impact of indiscipline through technological interventions and advanced traffic management systems. However, the onus lies on us to understand the urgency of the situation and inculcate the etiquettes.

Through my travels to other developed countries, I have come to believe that the fundamental reason of their progress, especially in the early stages, is a sense of discipline and mutual respect in all aspects of their lives across individual, community and organizational levels.

Japan sets a clear example of the highest order of discipline, which reflects in their transportation mechanisms. Shinkansen, the bullet train that celebrated 50 years of running, boasts of its punctuality. Reports suggest that the average delay of the entire fleet is less than 60 seconds even after considering the unavoidable major delays due to typhoons and earthquakes! There are virtually no bottlenecks. I believe the contribution to this remarkable feat is not only the technology or the processes set, but also the high level of discipline, which people demonstrate collectively.

Similar standards are noticeable on the roads where driving etiquettes followed by individuals make travel highly efficient and create a level play for commuters across different modes of transport - cars, motorbikes, cycles or pedestrians. It is imperative to note that the core of this efficiency is not the systems or the technologies alone, but the discipline of people at large. People drive at consistent speeds and always maintain a safe distance. There is no show of aggression to accelerate or a quest to manoeuvre through heavy traffic without any real urgency. Not every intersection or entry point on roads needs a police officer or a traffic light, to avoid blockage in Japan. I have noticed drivers halting at every intersection, irrespective of the amount of traffic on the road, and cross checking adequately before moving ahead. Efforts at an individual’s level is the only way to create successful and efficient systems for a country.

In our culture, respect for self and others is well engrained. Our very greeting, ‘Namaste’, is a mark of humility and high regard for the other person. We must allow this nature to penetrate every action. Our courtesy can be the starting point of inculcating discipline, which coupled with improvement in public infrastructure, awareness and enforcement of regulations, and execution of technology will realise efficient systems.

Unless we act with a sense of self-awareness, we will continue to bear huge costs in terms of finance, environment and individual life. I believe every milestone is an opportunity to drive a change in ourselves. As we go into a new year, I urge everyone to ask -

Can I alone make a difference? Will my initiative inspire someone? Can I start to spread the word and initiate a revolution within my social group?

Think and make your contribution to the society. It will reciprocate!