Last evening’s drive home was interesting.
~5:45pm, Vidhana Veedi / KR Circle: Traffic lights are off. Police seem to control the flow of traffic. May be some politician is needing to go fast…?
~6pm, Nrupathunga Road: Traffic is slower than usual, as a lorry laden with construction support poles is stopped right next to the new underpass under construction. As I manage to get past the mess, a clean white ambassador (complete with police emblem) slowly emerges from the police headquarters (is it DG’s Office?), and starts to turn right! - In the wrong direction, into the oncoming traffic. By then I’ve moved past the gate, kind of slow down, honk but who cares - We are the police.
~6pm, Corporation Circle: While taking a turn to go towards City Market, light turns Red. I slow down to come to a gradual stop along the curved road. A BMTC bus is right behind me, and is honking, urging me to take the leap, GO fellow, just Go. As soon as I stop, I see the bus take a sharp left turn, whizz past me from the wrong side, jump the signal and go. Went he did for sure. Who dares to run into a BMTC bus?
~6:40pm, Mysore Road, in front of Gali Anjaneya Temple: Heavy traffic, and usual mess with 3 lanes becoming 1.5 lanes. A Traffic Police (inspector?) gets out of his jeep (stopped right in the middle of the busy street), talking on his cell phone, and starts walking down the footpath. His driver wants to faithfully follow his officer, I guess. So, the jeep stops, blinks are put on, and it starts to slowly move backwards. I was a vehicle or two behind, so I get to honk hard this time. The driver notices, but doesn’t stop. Vehicles in front of me make way, and I have not much of an option.
~6:50pm, Mysore Road, west of chord road junction: Traffic policemen stand by the side of the road, as Ape’s and Scooters happily drive in the wrong direction to merge into traffic on the other direction, as they almost do it every day. Else, they have to travel an extra km spending their precious petrol you see.
So tell me, who should be caught by whom?
Ravi
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Nothing Unusual
Unfortunately what your describe is a daily occurance anywhere in the city. There is ABSOLUTELY NO enforcement of any traffic laws.Unless something this done about it I think there is very little hope of any improvement of the traffic conditions. Recently they have built a divided road between Jalahalli and Yelahanka new town. Routinely scooters and autos, and the occasional truck or car, drive on the wrong side of the road. Apparently if you have your lights on in the day it makes it legal to drive on the wrong side.
Another thing that is common is people stopping and parking in no parking areas on narrow streets. This usualy results in a complete jam - one particular example is the road in Palace Guttahalli which becomes 7th Cross Malleswaram. For some reason that, though it s a narrow road, is 2 way and has become an imporatant alternative route to Malleswaram after the Cauvery Junction U-turn debacle. But routinely some auto driver decides that he wants to wait for a passenger in that street and blocks up the whole street - especially since it is a two way.
Most people in India are basically very selfish and think only of short term benefits. They do not realise that perhaps giving way occasionally or obeying traffic rules that might slightly inconveniece you - maybe make you have to walk to drive another 50 mts, can actually benefit you in the long run. I dont know if and when that kind of thinking will descend on people but once can hope with increased economic prosperity people can perhaps start taking the long view on life, in general, and traffic, in particular.
But there is also absolutey no will amongst the autorities to enforce any laws. A few minutes walk anywhere in Bangalore will convince you that the BBMP can make a hell of a lot of money by enforcing parking laws or building laws. All over Malleswaram the footpaths have been occupied by new constructions who believe that the path in front of their plot belongs to them to store materials or now even build shacks for the workers since they are in any case violating FSI by overbuilding on their plot - so no space around for a shack.
I complained once to BBMP but to no avail - and in fact have noticed that since I did 3 more plots have followed the example of the first violator - since of course nothing was done to the first one.
Unfortunately this all leaves me with very little hope for this city.
RS
Ambulance Priority - A must
Today, I happened to observe two instances when ambulances were driving on the wrong lane with their lights on in broad daylight. The first was on Queen's road - here, the ambulance was moving away from Queen's circle towards Cantonment railway station. This road is a one-way in the opposite direction. The second was on the broad Cubbon road when the ambulance wanted to bypass traffic waiting at the BRV signal & used a break in the divider to use the opposite track/s to facilitate quicker movement & turning towards MG road.
There can be instances of misuse, but I was relieved to see that the cop/s did not bother, in fact the cop at BRV ushered the ambulance to move on & turn.
Ambulances need to be given priority for movement & this is perhaps a way out for them on our clogged streets.
In developed countries, most vehicles stop or pull over to the side to let them pass, but here, we have to accept that this might be the only option amidst the chaos.