To acknowledge that Darwinisrn is at work in the anarchy of Kathmandu's traffic and the anthropological questions it raises as Rajendra Pradhan does ('First to come, first to go', #228) is an interesting perspective. However, we must also be pragmatic enough to contemplate that vehicular chaos is a fusion of the lack of civic sense and the lack or mismanagement of traffic rules. Kathmandu's traffic sense will not attain overnight enlightenment by providing drivers with a crash course in human relationship management. Educationists and intellectuals function on the premise that their own personal research and study can somehow extrude itself into the psyche of a layman.

Being self-centred, individualistic, competitive and ambitious are traits of contemporary humans and are generally regarded as urban traits. These innate human drives also drive the drivers entrenched in traffic regardless of which society we look at. In countries that have ample and excellent traffic rules, an outlet has been provided for these psychological traits to be unleashed. For example, the use of four of more lanes is an innovative means to maintain traffic as well as provide an option for more aggressive drivers to vent whatever psychological mayhem is going on in their minds. Slower drivers have access to the left lane whereas those willing to overtake or simply drive faster within the designated limit can use the right lane. Buses use a separate lane that allows them easy access to passengers and of course pedestrians have a sidewalk for their benefit. The point I'm trying to drive home is that these traffic rules have been invented for the dual purpose of having lesser congestion as well as to accommodate the different kinds of people that exist in our societies. Even if those that invented the rules were not as far sighted as we're making them out to be, the fundamental fact that they made the traffic rules in coordination with social demands is a great achievement in itself.

Regardless of which culture and country we talk about, the replacement of these traffic rules and road sizes with what we have in Nepal will bring about the same self-centred reaction from people there.

The problems of traffic chaos and the added mean spirited, self-centered nature of the drivers has more to do with our onerous traffic infrastructure than with anthropology. Civic sense plays an important role in any functioning society but so do rules and regulations. Selfishness is not a purely Nepali trait, given the circumstances even the most conscientious and righteous people fall into the same category.

Shivendra Thapa, Kathmandu