What does one wish for a city that is ‘impossible to describe’ and was given up as a ‘bad joke’ ? Memories of that dig, ‘the dying city’, have, however, faded and by all accounts, there is a revival of sorts that one has been witnessing here. But along with the grand visions, of which we have no shortage, can we also hope for a more pedestrian wish list on the ground ? A few examples may well come in handy!

For motorists: Extracting a fine of Rs 10 or 20 from jaywalkers is all very fine but little headway is likely, unless the traffic police are as keen to fine the errant drivers. Flouting traffic signals, driving on the wrong lane, taking abrupt and whimsical turns at right angles, overtaking from the wrong side, honking horns in the ‘no horn zones’— you name the traffic violation and you will find them to be commonplace and routine .

Buses and taxis are often driven so fast that they appear to be escaping from a rampaging mob. Unless the police can discipline these rakish drivers, pedestrians, who in any case number many more, are unlikely to cooperate.

As for jaywalkers, a far more effective campaign against them would be to photograph some of them in the act and publish it, with their names and addresses. Or, the police can offer a regular 10-minute video clip on local television channels, publicising the identity and visuals of the offenders. Pedestrians, hopefully, would like to avoid the ignominy by following rules of the road. This would also serve as much-needed education to thousands of people from villages and the suburbs ,who commute to the city every day.

Will somebody please set right the traffic signal at the Rashbehari crossing? The new year will, hopefully, persuade the traffic police to do something about the signal at the Rashbehari Avenue-Kasba crossing. Currently the signal turns green for vehicles moving in three different directions. If you are driving from Kasba to Gariahat, you can drive forward. If you want to take a right turn towards Tollygunge or Southern Avenue, you are allowed to do that. But what defies reason is that simultaneously, the signal allows vehicles coming from Gariahat or Lake Market to turn right towards Hazra. The tram tracks thankfully force vehicles to slow down and, thus, avoid what often appears to be an inevitable collision. But one wonders why the signal cannot be set right.

Automatic signals: It will also help if the signals are all automated, programmed to turn red at specific intervals. The cops who now sit and manually change the signals can be better utilised in apprehending vehicles which flout the signals. There is a reason for wishing for automated signals. Some of the cops appear to play with the signals, sometimes flicking the green light to orange and then to red, in a matter of seconds. They obviously do so to have some fun at the expense of the drivers. Or they, perhaps, enjoy the sense of power it gives them. But for most drivers, it is maddening.

Repair the pavements: They are no longer called ‘footpaths’; wisely so, because they are now used not just for footfalls but for myriad other activities. But one strains to recall the time when they were last repaired. Even the ‘footpath’ on Park Street or Chowringhee are in such a state of neglect that walking on them is a nightmare. One has to be careful and keep eyes fixed on the pavement, or else you run the risk of spraining your ankle or sustain an even more serious injury. Of course, if you have to do a lot of walking on these pavements, you can hardly escape from a bout of spondylitis, which, put simply, means that your blood vessels in the neck become so stiff that blood circulation to the head gets affected. It will be great if they are repaired in time for the next new year.

More comfortable buses, please: The transport minister, it seems, has recently travelled in one of the older buses plying in the city. Why else would he issue a fiat that all private buses would have to be painted and the wooden planks give way to some kind of cushion ? This column does hope he succeeds. These buses are not just the ugliest in the country but they are also the most uncomfortable and unimaginative. If bus-owners in poorer regions of the country can afford to offer more presentable and more comfortable buses, is there a reason why the city should persist with the monstrosities ? The people certainly deserve better.

Have a great new year.