Lok Sabha elections 2024: Better road infra, friendly traffic cops, no illegal parking — survey reveals solutions that car owners want from their elected representatives

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Over 98 per cent of car owners stated that they expect better road infrastructure and that their elected Member of Parliament (MP) must improve the state of roads in their Lok Sabha constituency. Apart from better roads being the top priority, the second most vocal demand — 81 per cent — repsondents felt the need for more friendly traffic police force. 

These responses were gathered in a survey conducted by Park+ — an app for car owners — that was undertaken to understand the Indian car owners' expectations from political parties contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As per the company, the survey sample consisted of over 50,000 car owners from Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Chennai.

As per the survey, the Indian car owners' priority lies in better roads, friendly traffic police personnel, and better traffic management.

Key findings from the survey include- 
● 98 per cent car owners prioritised better road infrastructure
● 81 per cent respondents demanded a more friendly traffic police force (both men and women) 
● 61 per cent of those surveyed wanted better management by traffic police to counter road rage or dangerous driving 
● 83 per cent of women car owners wanted more women traffic police personnel on highways and main roads
● 72 per cent of car owners felt that waterlogging was a major concern during monsoon season 

Citywise key findings: Top demands by car woners in these cities — 

● Delhi-NCR: 
1) Friendly traffic police personnel, 
2) Better road infrastructure; and, 
3) Better traffic management during office hours 

● Mumbai:
1) Counter water logging problems, 
2) Traffic management during peak office hours; and,
3) Illegal parking on roads.

● Bengaluru:
1) Stricter rules for road rage, 
2) Illegal parking on roads; and,
3) Better traffic management during office hours.

● Ahmedabad:
1) Better road infrastructure, 
2) More traffic police personnel; and,
3) Better traffic management during office hours 

● Chennai:
1) Better traffic management during office hours, 
2) Stricter rules for road rage; and,
3) Illegal parking on roads

Commenting on the results of the survey, Amit Lakhotia, CEO and Founder of Park+, said, “At Park+, our main business objective is to bring delight back to car ownership. This pan-India survey is a step in the same direction to understand car owners' pain points/gaps and attempt to bridge these gaps by bringing all stakeholders together. The survey sheds some interesting light on the demands of Indian car owners from the political parties contesting the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. With over 4.5 crore cars running on Indian roads today, Indian car owners form the backbone of the Indian middle class, and their demands for - better roads, friendly traffic police personnel, and better traffic management are key election demands that political parties can address to bring delight back to owning a car in India. At Park+, we will continue to engage with our 1.5 crore car owners to understand their pain points and share them with relevant external stakeholders.”

Commenting on the findings, Akhilesh Srivastava, Road Safety Ambassador-IRF, IT Advisor ITDA, and President ITS INDA FORUM, said, “Driving on Indian roads is one the most dangerous and stressful activities for any Indian car owner. We lack basic driving ethics, road rage is highly prevalent, our traffic police force is overstretched, and road infra is still in its infancy (needs rapid improvement/overhaul). The survey throws up some very interesting insights with respect to the demand for a more friendly traffic police force and more women traffic police personnel to manage traffic and address women driver issues. I am optimistic that this survey will catalyze the political parties to address these issues and make Indian roads safer and smarter. Collaborative efforts between the government authorities, car owners, and relevant stakeholders will be essential in addressing these concerns effectively”.