With both India's population and economy projected to grow rapidly over the medium term, the traffic situation in the country can only be expected to get worse. The roads in the cities as well as small towns are buckling under the pressure of vehicular traffic; and with private car ownership poised to double over the next few years in tandem with rising incomes, the already beleaguered cities will be hard put to accommodate any further increases. Several plans hav ebeen suggested to alleviate traffic congestion, such as multilevel roads as well as elevated railway systems. However, neither will be able to solve the problem as they would necessitate a drastic widening of existing roads. But with town/city municipal corporations encroaching on private spaces, bicycle and footpaths, there is very little scope for further widening. (Editorial)