Road is a wonderful reflection of a place
Roads are a reflection of a place, be it a city, a particular area of a city, a pocket in that area or even a block. Roads mean a lot of things. First of all it means the economic status of the residents. If you have been to the south of several cities in India, they are comparatively posh, are up market with upper-middle class or high-class gentry.
The roads lining their streets are much better in shape. They are maintained every few months especially after the rainy season is over and again sometime after a few months. They are cleaned just every day and traffic markings painted too often. The islands are kept up in right condition too, so are the metallic railings perched on the islands. You will find some horticultural touch to the islands too. They have well maintained traffic signals and have additional traffic police personnel to supervise smooth flow of the traffic.
Cut to another location which is not up market, but fairly good. You will find quite a few features as about a road in an up market area but for their so regular upkeep. Among the missing things could be the green effect created by the plants on the islands or round- about. Then cut to an ordinary middle class area. The level of upkeep plummets. Roads could be uneven. There will be more of patchwork when they are repaired, hence the unevenness. The pavements may not be clean and the road-sides could be accumulating dust which is cleaned after months together.
A lower-middle class area roads scenario will reflect accordingly. Dust welcomes you every time a vehicle passes by you. There will be streams of water flowing out of lanes and houses for want of choked drains which have not been cleaned for ages and hence could no longer be cleaned. Road repair in such pockets is an election issue and a patchwork is possible which may last as long as the campaign for the hustings.
Cut to the Indian road traffic on such roads. Its character changes with its economic identification. The traffic on Bangalore and Chennai will change as much and so will the degree of road safety in India for the latter is a function of driving conditions which in turn is subject to the road conditions.
