Much has been spoken about the deteriorating traffic sense in Mumbai. Though things are much better than other cities and metros, the situation has worsened from what it was until some years ago. People simply don’t care about the law. It is every man (and woman) to themselves, out on the streets. It is true that living here in Mumbai comes at a huge price, but when basic tenets of life here start to break down, there’s quite the cause for concern. Without intending to shift the blame from the citizens themselves, there’s no denying the fact that the Mumbai Police & its various branches are just as guilty. Here’s why…

The other evening, I happened to come across one of the newer patrolling vehicles that have been allotted to the Police force. Swanky, new vehicle. Equipped with a quick, responsive engine that bestows upon it enough performance to keep up with present day trouble-makers on the street. Now, this one (like all new vehicles) came with seat-belts on-board & yet, the cops up front, were driving around without fastening them!

How do you expect regular motorists to follow the rules, when the law enforcers don’t follow them in the first place? The non-fastening of seatbelts is just one aspect of the problem. From riding around without helmets or unfastened ones, to getting their vehicles washed & serviced at illegal garages by the road-side; the list of law-violations simply stretches on.

Riding back from work after a long day at the office last week, I overtook a few cops on the highway. None of them were wearing their helmets. Yet, a couple of kilometres later, these very same cops were at a nakabandi, pulling up motorists for their transgressions. Irony sure did die a screaming death that day.

How we love our beloved Mumbai Police for leading by example.