Be a lifesaver, let the ambulances, fire engines pass

This picture has been used for representational purpose

A constant through this pandemic has been the wailing of ambulance sirens as they zig-zag through the city - for some, it is the anxious ride to the hospital. For others, it is the uplifting ride after recovery back home. Whatever the reason, the vehicle has become omnipresent in the city.

There are thinner crowds and less traffic. This means that emergency vehicles can make their way much faster through the metropolis, reaching their destination quicker. While this began with ambulances, we also include fire engines in this ambit of emergency vehicles.

We have several takeaways from the current situation and many lessons even as COVID-19 rages on. One among these should be serious contemplation over how city planners can look at dedicated emergency lanes for faster movement of vehicles, in ordinary times. This may seem Utopian in this megapolis, but we need to give it a thought and with some will, this may happen in some areas at least.

While that is a plan, ordinary people must remember the importance of allowing these vehicles access on roads to help save lives.

We need to have that discipline and empathy when we, as drivers, hear an ambulance or fire engine desperate to go through traffic. If possible, give them space to go through.

Obdurate, unthinking drivers refuse to move for these vehicles. This attitude must change, and we should do so by looking at the situation today, all around us.

Frontline warriors are men and women in the medical field, but they can also be those who make way, be patient, are willing to come second, third or fourth in line and letting the more important vehicle pass. Be a lifesaver, not just today but every day.