Traffic jams – what needs to be done

Traffic volume in big cities is increasing every day.  Traffic jams at major, now even at minor, intersections are a common routine.  Weekends are even worse when it takes hours for very short distances which, if traffic were flowing smoothly, would not take more than 15 minutes.  Citizens complain regularly.  Even the traffic police seem helpless.

Is the issue of bad traffic impossible to solve even by the traffic police?  I disagree.  The issue may be difficult but can be solved.  However, it does require a firm resolve, multi-pronged approach by the traffic police department and support by law abiding citizens.  Again, my suggested plan does not require a huge financial outlay or big legislative changes as the needed laws are already in place.  The multi-pronged approach suggested above is as under:

1. Creation of Metro Traffic Vision

Additional IGP Traffic Sindh should meet their respective DIGs and seek input on objectives they want to achieve thru the traffic vision for their respective areas.

Some of common starting objectives can be

• To ensure smooth traffic flow on roads and highways
• To ensure implementing the traffic laws
• To ensure apprehending the law breakers
• To ensure proper training and testing new drivers
• To ensure rewarding and punishing the staff as needed
• To ensure creating/updating the traffic police website for internal and public use accordingly

(Resources:  One management consultant and one assistant for admin support for one week, Cost:  Rs. 750,000, Time needed:  2 weeks)

2. Update existing policies and procedures

Once a set of objectives are agreed and documented each DIG should be tasked to

• Review all existing policies and procedures relevant to their area of responsibility
• Get the respective policies and procedures updated to align with the vision
• Get the updated policies and procedures approved and signed off by relevant authorities
• Get the approved policies and procedures uploaded to the website in secure area
• Get the necessary fines and fees revisited/updated
• Device/recommend an easy and quick system for public to pay traffic tickets
• Make driver’s license training from authorized schools mandatory for getting a driver’s license

(Resources:  6 management consultants and 6 assistants for admin support for 2 months, Cost:  Rs. 5,400,000, Time needed:  3 months)

3. Educate staff and public

a.  Staff training

Hire training consultants to:

• Define which groups/levels need to be trained for which policies and procedures
• Design in class and/or online training programs relevant to each level/group of staff
• Create training schedule for all staff members
• Impart training
• Conduct online exams to ensure effective learning by staff
• Report on progress of training to the management on weekly basis

(Resources:  Turnkey contract to online training company who would bring IT infrastructure and do all above on a per head fixed cost.  Cost:  Rs. 63,500,000, Time needed:  6 – 12 months)

b. Drivers training

Hire consultants to:

• Review and update drivers training schools registration requirements
• Review and update drivers training schools registration renewal requirements
• Review and update drivers training instructors registration requirements
• Review and update drivers training instructors registration renewal requirements
• Review and update drivers training course curriculum
• Create online registration/renewal procedure for drivers training schools
• Create online registration/renewal procedure for drivers training instructors
• Update all existing registration data of drivers training schools on the website
• Update all existing registration data of drivers training schools on the website
• Design a simple online process to ensure drivers training schools follow rules
• Design a simple online process to ensure drivers training instructors follow rules
• Report to management on weekly basis

(Resources:  4 management consultants and 4 assistants for admin support for 2 months, Cost:  Rs. 3,600,000, Time needed:  3 months)

c. Public education

Run an advertising campaign to inform public about

• common traffic laws
• new fines and fees
• grace period before strict implementation
• strict implementation dates
• Report progress on weekly basis

(Resources:  Contract to be given to an advertising agency to design and run effective campaign for a period of 6 months)

4. Offer incentives and consequences

• Finish all discretionary powers of staff up to a senior level
• Devise and implement a bonus scheme to field staff issuing tickets
• Devise and implement disciplinary actions/consequences for issuance of wrong tickets
• Bonus and/or fines to be added/subtracted directly from pay stubs
• Implement strict and fair performance evaluation across the board
• Report on weekly basis

(Resources:  4 management consultants and 4 assistants for admin support for 2 months, Cost:  Rs. 3,600,000 Time needed:  3 months)

5. Evaluate and adjust

• Establish a monitoring team of all DIGs
• This team should meet every week to review weekly reports from all above
• During last meeting of every month adjustment recommendations to be made for each of above activities
• Recommendations to be approved by IG within two weeks.
• Adjustment to above programs should be implemented right away after approvals

(Resources:  Ongoing task to be continued for at least one complete year.  One management consultant and one assistant for admin support for one year, Cost:  Rs. 45,000,000, Time needed:  1 year)

Why the above program would work?

• Once drivers are properly trained, driving habits will improve
• Once people are educated of the benefits and consequences of following or not following the laws, they will try to follow the same
• Once the work force is fully trained, they can better implement the laws
• Once the work force has incentives their tendency for illegal means of income will reduce
• Once the work force is well trained and incentivized their morale will go high

Notes:

• All above activities should be time boxed, no exceptions
• Contracts with consultants should include time box clause
• All consultants should have Pakistani work experience not foreign
• Current website of Sind Police http://www.sindhpolice.gov.pk is an excellent resource and can be used for updates
• All software/website development/updates to be done by Pakistani IT companies
• Requirement is 100% compliance with the law, no relaxation at all, no discretion
• For first three months of campaigns, no fines just warnings to traffic
• Separate fund to be created for revenue generated from traffic tickets
  • 33% for bonus/commission
  • 33% improving road signs in respective districts
  • 33% to pay off for debt acquired for reforms

Assumptions made for costing and estimations:

• Per day salary of a management consultant:  Rs. 100,000
• Per day salary of an assistant:                                     Rs. 50,000
• Per head training charges:                                            Rs. 500
• Number of total employees:                                       127,000
• Number of DIGPs Traffic:                                              3

By no means, the above is a complete plan to address this complex and multi faceted problem. It can just be used by a reforms program manager as a discussion starting template to gather and organize recommendations from industry’s subject matter experts to come up with a comprehensive and practical plan considering all relevant aspects. Hope the authorities are reading and paying attention.

Note:  If you like what you just read you can help more by:

1. Subscribing – this way you will be notified anytime a new post gets made
2. Sharing posts – this way you will spread the good words to more people
3. Sharing ideas – this way you can give us your ideas/solutions for new blog
4. Writing blog – this way you can actually contribute to this website and participate in the good work

Feel free to reach out to us for any questions, suggestions and/or areas for improvements.

Babar Saeed

bsaeed@yahoo.com

January 10, 2020