The quality of life cannot be measured by simply comparing monetary incomes in various countries. In addition to the purchasing power that an average salary in a given country commands, there are additional factors like communal services such as public transport, clean air, potable tap water, efficient treatment of effluent, absence of pollution, music and cultural venues and a host of other factors.

Shanghai scores well in a number of fields, especially in Pudong which was developed virtually from "scratch" in less than 20 years.

Large mega-parks there provide green "lungs" for the city; wide multi-lane avenues move more cars per minute than elsewhere and sidewalks are bordered in many places by lush shrubs and greenery. Many footpaths are being re-paved with decorative bricks at a standard second to none and all very pretty.

Full marks for that, Shanghai!

Pollution wise, Pudong scores relatively well too and as more and more stinky factories are being re-located to the suburbs, things are improving almost every day. When it comes to noise pollution, however, it's a different story in Pudong.

At all hours of the day and night, cars, buses and motorcycles honk their horns unnecessarily and virtually non-stop at anything that moves or is stationary, keeping everybody who lives within 100m from a road awake at night and that includes nearly 80 per cent of the entire Shanghai population.

Golden kudos for the police force, however, who seldom switch their siren on and who rely more on their flashing lights to move fast in emergency situations.

Big brickbats though for 119 Ambulances and the fire brigade who still insist on using their deafening and irritating sirens, day and night, achieving little but annoyance and causing severe psychological stress in every Shanghai citizen who has the misfortune to live near a road.

It seems that the Shanghai authorities are not aware of the uselessness of wailing sirens, except during air raids in war time. Many motorists have their 200-watt car stereos switched on and hear nothing above the din and the rest, appear not to care. Flashing lights, such as the police have embarked on, have the same effect and do not shatter the peace.

Super-heavy brickbats are due to the Traffic Department who has recently decided on installing more audible warning beepers at pedestrian crossings. This dastardly deed could be considered cruel and unusual punishment for all hapless Shanghainese and their admirers who live near a loud "beepered" intersection.

Imagine: Having your television programme or home music interrupted every two minutes by the loud piercing of the pedestrian crossing beepers, emanating from loudspeakers mounted atop pedestrian crossing light poles.

"For goodness sake: Are the lights by themselves not good enough", I asked a traffic cop on duty?

"Well, er, these beepers are to assist the blind," I was told. Really? Even for ably sighted people, crossing the road at my nearby five-lane major intersection is a nigh suicidal mission, let alone for blind people.

Do we really have to go that far in our quest to assist the few handicapped who might use the intersection, unaccompanied, on rare occasions, to annoy the few thousand residents who are unfortunate enough to live near an intersection, day in day out?

Would it not be more logical and safer for a blind person to ask a fellow bystander to assist him across the intersection? I am sure that most good Samaritans - most Shanghainese - would be happy to oblige a handicapped person when asked.

So, what needs to be done?

Firstly, the Shanghai government should be brave enough to adopt the erstwhile New York Mayor Rudi Giuilliani approach of "zero tolerance" to any offences; this has proven very effective in New York.

Rudi instructed all traffic officers to heavily fine every traffic offender, no matter how minor the offence or how convincing the excuse.

Jaywalking pedestrians and those who wandered onto the car tracks or bicycle lanes had to pay. A lot!

Cyclists who were found on the wrong cycle track paid heavily for the privilege.

Drivers of cars, trucks and buses who were using their horns (except in life-threatening situations) were not only fined but also received demerit points. In less than a year, it was (almost) a pleasure to commute in New York. Shanghai should adopt the same policy.

What better chance to re-employ the hordes of laid-off middle-aged workers from State-owned companies and all for free, nay, even a substantial profit could result. A "Hooter and traffic offence warden" (HATOW) should easily nab 20 offenders at a fine of around 50 to 200 yuan by registering car license numbers and apprehensions in person or maybe 2,000 yuan per day against a salary of around 150 yuan per day. The profit could be applied to screen educational TV commercials showing model citizens being polite to each other while taking part in city traffic.

I would suggest one warden at every intersection and/or every kilometre of road.

Otherwise, the existing chaos will lead to a total snarl-up of the traffic, including loss of lives and more citizens committing suicide or finishing up in mental asylums.

Yours truly is already halfway there.

The use of sirens should be totally prohibited by ambulances and the fire brigade and the police should also be deterred from using sirens. Bright flashing lights should be installed on all emergency vehicles.

Audible pedestrian crossing signals should be switched off, and the equipment sent to the scrap-heap.

The use of car horns should be totally prohibited between the hours of 8:00am and 8::00pm and be permitted only in real life threatening situations in daylight hours with heavy fines and demerit points for offenders. A citizens' reporting system should be set up as there are not enough traffic officers around to nab offenders.

Then, and only then, will the quality of life in Shanghai have edged up another notch.

The question remains, of course: Will the Shanghai authorities be brave and determined enough to carry it all through?

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