What is happening?

These days the city is a busy hive of activity everywhere you go or look. There is construction going on, road works, people commute to and from work and school, many are trying to sell their goods to passers by while others again choose to beg instead. It is busy everywhere, while we read reports that the economy is growing in double digits. This is good news although at the same time life is getting more expensive and I wonder how people with average incomes or less than that are making ends meet. House rents are becoming so high that families are pushed to the outskirts of the city, while Hollywood style mansions are built to be rented to those who can afford $2000 per month or more, or better the organizations they work for. Meanwhile I notice that people are becoming less tolerant towards each other. In fact I observe that people are becoming quite rude instead especially in traffic, which is a prime source of irritation in the first place. People are in a hurry to do whatever they need to do and don’t want anybody in their way. This happens on the street, in the traffic, in the office, anywhere. They are in their own world, not observing what is going on around them, strictly concentrating on their own activities, whatever they do. They don’t only take no notice of others; they actually don’t seem to care about them. In fact they seem to think that only themselves matter, not others, as if we don’t live in a so called interdependent world. They think: “Me first, then you.” I observe it in the traffic, in the bank, in the shop etc. Waiting and allowing others to go their turn doesn’t come to their mind. In the process they offend others or worse, they create obstacles for everybody else, including themselves, to move on. We experience this in traffic every day, when drivers overtake left, right and centre while there is a jam further down the road. While doing so they offend everybody else waiting in line and on top of that block oncoming traffic, increasing the jam. Instead of helping the situation they make it worse. Maybe their offensive behaviour will help them move on, but for how long and at what cost? They are in their own world, not realising that with a little more patience, respect, some assistance, giving some space to others, they will actually make a positive difference and help not only themselves but others too.
Having said that, there are factors that cause irritation if not frustration because the way some systems work here are not helping people to move on but are hindering them instead. This again is true for public works and services but even for the way business is done in general. By this I mean that work is done with a seemingly lack of planning ahead, coordination and without the least information to those being affected.
Let us take a look at the ongoing road works for example. Admittedly, it is commendable that the road network is being expanded. I observe that the lack of the same in other cities in neighbouring countries over the past decades has led to never ending traffic jams. But that doesn’t mean, things don’t have to be coordinated. It seems that different contractors win bids for certain road works and begin their work without considering what else is going on. In several locations in the city, parallel access roads are being worked on at the same time, not leaving alternative routes for road users to reach their destinations. I have a friend who now needs to leave home at 6.30 am if he wants to reach his office in time. The location of his residence is entirely surrounded by road works. Last week I saw the beginning of breaking the surface of the road in front of the British embassy, while the alternative routes into Kanzanchis are still under construction. This leaves the Haile Gebreselassie road as the only open route into town from the east and it doesn’t take much imagination to realise what the consequences are going to be. Surely, things can be planned in a way that inconveniences are kept to a minimum for the road users, who also need to go about their business to make their what ever modest contribution to the growing economy. What is the hurry? Why everything at the same time? Is it the millennium deadline that all of a sudden causes this rush for getting things done so quickly? Now, if it is difficult for one sector to plan and coordinate its activities, what more if several sectors are involved? Road works often affect underground pipeline system like sewage, water, and in the future also electricity and telecommunication. Between the different sectors there seems to be no coordination at all, with relatively new roads being broken up again to do some work on pipelines. Imagine the waste of resources here. And all seems to go on without any seemingly consideration for the public. No notice is given ahead when water will be disconnected, or electricity. I consider this hardly fair towards the public who pay for services but are disconnected at any time without being given the opportunity to prepare themselves for a few days without water for example. The lack of coordination of services and businesses affects people through out. You indeed see people running here and there but they can’t help it either. Today the telephone, tomorrow the water bill or electricity. A day late and the services will be disconnected. Imagine if payment of services would be coordinated or made simpler by making more use of modern ITC technologies. In other countries, customers pay for services using electronic banking or by automatic monthly transfers. In business we also observe that companies go their individual way instead of joining hands and coordinate the import of materials for example or setting certain minimum standards for the sector. As a result, we continue to face inconsistencies in supplies and quality, keeping everybody in the crisis management mode. Do I have to mention the cement saga of the past year or so to illustrate this?
Reasons for frustration and irritation abound, I would say. That doesn’t justify though the rudeness amongst each other that we see emerging with the same double digits as the economic growth. In the midst of it all, it is important to keep looking ahead and realise that progress is being made and that in the end we will be better off. Meanwhile I’d like to suggest to planners, the authorities and the business community to coordinate efforts inform the public and consider the inconveniences caused by the lack of it. After all, the public consists of tax payers and are customers of services, who deserve to be treated as such.