I am reading this book called “Drawing on the right side of the brain“. The book is pretty nice in assuring that ‘anyone’ can draw. Which is my belief too. Like I mention earlier and often, this does not mean that one can immediately be creative. However, it is possible to pick up the technical aspects of trawing and the ability to see what is out there and be able to put it on paper.

One of the exercises was to create a baseline before reading the book. The author asked the reader to draw 3 things, one of which was your hand. It stuck me that there is very little reason to go around hunting for complex images to draw when we have one literally at the end of our hand (heh). The play of light and teh complex shadows it creates makes it challenging to draw it properly. Well I have tried and may be by the end of the book, I can do better.

Note: My hand is naturally crooked with too many bends. Come to think of it, I wonder how I can function normally with fingers shaped the way they are…

A recent press release from the LTA, details a new initiative to provide priority for buses. The idea is to ensure people allow buses to exit from the bus stops without having to wait for vehicles passing in that lane.

I have seen a few comments from the public criticizing the idea.

Some hare-brained ‘scholar’ idea – From a cycling forum.

To a bus commuter, saving 10% of travel time is not much anyway. An additional 6 minutes for an hour long ride is not going to affect them since they expect the bus to be a slower mode of transport anyway – voices, Today 

It makes me wonder if people really think before making any comments. Criticism, if not constructive can not be of much use. In the worst case, It can lead to disillusion. We have to realize that a government body overseeing road usage has to weigh the interests of a diverse set of users. A persons right to the use of road does not come from how much road tax one pays. I consider the Road tax to be the money needed to maintain roads due to damage caused by vehicles – meaning the larger vehicles pay more tax. Buses have huge tax but the per capita cost is low because they can transport more people. Large SUV’s with one person in it, on the other hand, will have a large per capita cost. While a cyclist, who hardly causes trouble rides for free. All of them however have equal rights – Just because one can afford to pay higher $ does not provide them more rights on the road.

We cannot runaway from traffic but the greater good is in making sure effective time wasted on the road is minimal. This is possible by providing dedicated bus lanes and ensuring other vehicles do not impede the movement of buses. Actually, existing traffic regulation (and common sense) gives priority for buses exiting the stops. But the new initiative makes this more obvious by painting a yellow patch that is very hard to miss.

I am not arguing that all LTA policies make sense, but as a  body, their aim should be to facilitate the well being of the road users. I think improving the conditions for bus traffic to flow smoothly is a step in the right direction.

Painting green or blue lanes is next