It's high time we developed civic sense

Talkback mics, which will enable women travelling on the Western Railway to speak to the motorman or guard in an emergency, will soon be installed in all women's compartments in western line trains. A report in this paper stated that the mics are supposed to be installed in the locals in the next three months at a cost is R 8 crore. The mic facilitates a two-way communication between the guard and commuters.

While the Railways reacted to questions about fears of misuse, saying that there will be heavy penalties in case of misuse, we think it is time we mature as people. Why do we need fines and penalties to ensure respect for public property? We need to inculcate civic sense in our children from an early age. We often spot kids damaging infrastructure at parks, with parents or guardians looking the other way.

Adults, too, are guilty of vandalism. We have a reprehensible attitude that dictates our actions. We think that if so and so facility is not ours then it is alright to spoil it or even do away with it. We see examples in our everyday life. Manhole covers filched, dustbins broken, long distance train equipment in pieces, seats ripped off benches, the list is endless and there is a large section of the public that is shameless.

Having said that fines should not be the way to ensure sanctity of what we have paid taxes for, we also understand that it would be utopian to think people will change or understand. We need to start a process of transformation; campaigns about respect for public property and lessons in classrooms may be a good start. At the same time, fines do act as deterrent. One can only hope that mics are used for the correct purpose, maintained well and are a much-needed added security feature in local trains.

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