Answer to traffic chaos

Answer to traffic chaos

In his letter Traffic chaos (May 22, 1995), Mr Soelaiman Nilam is quite right to say that a lack of driver discipline is the prime cause of traffic chaos. The answer to indiscipline at busy intersections (disregard of the traffic lights, etc.), as I have pointed out in these columns before, is "the box", or a square comprising the four sides of the intersection on which are painted criss-crossed yellow lines.

The idea is that a driver must not enter the box until he can see a clear way out on the other side. This works very well in Britain, so there's no reason for it not to work here, though I feel that there would need to be a police presence to enforce observance of the rule and to nab violators--at least in the early stages.

JAMES RICHARDS

Jakarta