One of the common sights one witnesses on busy roads almost on everyday basis, some or the other vehicles’ engine going awry resulting in long and seemingly never-ending traffic jam behind. For, even if one lane is engaged with parking of such defective vehicle, it leads to enormous traffic chaos particularly during peak morning and evening hours. Often we see tip-top ladies and gentlemen with state of the art mobile instrument in hand standing on the side of their vehicle with bonnet open, blinkers ‘On’ implying that that car broke down on the road.
The reason behind being, sheer carelessness or owing to one’s busy schedule or one’s attitude of take it easy policy, etc. But such breakage of vehicle on the road leads to avoidable traffic jam due to unusable one lane for quite some time in busy road particularly during peak hours of traffic. At the same time, traffic jam occurring owing to puncture of some vehicle’s tyre is but normal as the same is not in anyone’s hand and is understandable as no one can predict when the puncture to one’s vehicle’s tyre might occur on road. But breaking down of vehicle in the middle of road? It can’t be said, it occurred by chance. Definitely, the mistake lies on the vehicle owner’s part. As it clearly means that no maintenance of the vehicle they are using to commute every day, either because of no time to go to auto workshop at the same time having time to go to beauty parlor or salon, or no money to spend on ‘unnecessary’ maintenance of car so long as the vehicle is running or getting it serviced from time to time, but have all the money for keeping oneself look up-to-date or as mentioned before ‘take it easy policy’ or may be owing to laziness.
People should understand that just like maintaining oneself is important, similarly, maintaining the vehicle they are using for commuting purpose almost on daily basis is all the more important and this means of transport is now no longer a luxury and its maintenance should equally be taken rather seriously. Keeping the vehicle intact, serviced and in workable condition on the roads is utmost necessary in the sense that it helps and even save on not only others time but fuel as well. Also, more importantly, it may be mentioned that if some Ambulance or other emergency services vehicle were also coming from behind, it is all the more serious as it becomes a life and death matter for the patient inside the Ambulance for whom every seconds counts or for fire tenders for which every second of delay matters. Even death can be averted in case we take due precaution to keep our vehicle in good running condition and not adopt a take it easy policy and wait till the time when the vehicle is completely grounded.
Now, particularly, when the fuel costs are sky-rocketing, such avoidable traffic jam and enforced driving of vehicles at snail’s pace need be given a thought. It cannot be expected that any vehicle stops functioning suddenly and in an abrupt manner and if at all the chances are near to rare. Nowadays, the mechanism is such that some kind of alert already lights up in the dashboard in case of any anticipated defect in the engine or when the vehicle requires any kind of service, which if ignored leads to such incidence of not only trouble for the vehicle owner but more than that to other people commuting on the road. It is different matter that if one ignores such alerts coming, then it leads to such stoppage of engine in the middle of road thereby causing avoidable inconvenience to hundreds of other commuters on the road.
It is reiterated, one should take care that just like one takes care of oneself, like timely going to saloon for getting haircut, manicure, pedicure, facial, threading, waxing and other kinds of make-up, it is equally important that they take care of their respective vehicle even by visiting Workshop and keep the vehicle in good working condition and no sort of laxity is extended in that respect. It is not that anyone will be giving a blessing to such people standing with stranded vehicle on the road instead one is bound to get lots of abuses from many, though the same may not be heard or audible. If the vehicle is kept maintained and in good running condition, one could avert such abuses from other people. After all, it is not a fashion statement to get oneself entangled with a defective vehicle with its engine stranded on the road thereby taking others’ comfort, time and fuel consumption to task and sometimes even putting at risk the life of others.
