As roads in Indian cities are getting increasingly clogged with vehicular traffic, a campaign has been launched to promote walking, cycling and bus rides.
Being run by the Doordarshan and the Union Ministry of Development, the campaign "Traffic? Ab bus karo" highlights how vehicular population is choking roads in cities, leaving hardly any room for walkers or cyclists.
Actor Rahul Bose has joined the campaign which also focuses on how the public transport system is being neglected because of the car-centric approach adopted by cities while creating transport infrastructure.
The name of the month-long campaign, running on DD news channel and social media platforms, is a pun to drive home the point that traffic should be reduced on the roads by promoting walking, cycling and bus journey, S M Khan, Director General of DD News, told PTI.
Through videos, the TV campaign shows the example of Delhi where pedestrians and cyclists have to risk their lives while crossing roads and Kolkata where cycling has been banned from 174 major roads in the name of traffic jams.
As a result of the ban on cycles on Kolkata roads, the labour class became the worst hit.
Stressing that the need of the hour is to promote cycles and eco-friendly modes of transport, one of the videos says that Kolkata seems to be moving in the opposite direction by promoting polluting vehicles.
