Easing Bangalore Traffic - Rocket Science?

[kuttapan]

Originally Posted by greatmana2000

I live on hosur road and I can vouch that most of the traffic jam is caused due to the policemen ,rather than the traffic by itself .

I am from chennai and its been just over 2 months that i have been in bangalore .

My biggest peeve would be the pedastrians , who seem to be so stupid that they cross the road only when a vehicle nears them.They just seem to be waiting for some vehicle to run over them .

I still do not understand why the policy makers are so dumb that they cant have a lane system .

Another thing would be the madivala , kormangala road .Now ,this road is a one way and its a very big road . I am just amused when ever i pass through this road because,its been made a one way and half of the road is occupied by fruit sellers and vegetable sellers .

Another thing is I see no subways .A big road like hosur road has to have a subway at important intersections so that people living in the nearby areas do not stop the oncoming traffic ,so that they can cross the road.

Finally , I feel bangaloreans always hype things a bit without any substance ,because a simple rail project could actually reduce the traffic rather than empower policemen with blackberries and electronic displays .
Another major drawback would be the stupid service lanes . The govt could actually widen the roads rather than create service roads and let it lie unused .

Finally ,i really get pissed off with the 200 sec -300sec traffic signal waits . The max I have ever known is 70 secs in chennai and incase you drive at the recommened road speed in chennai , You will not have to wait at any traffic signal .

Hope the stupid officials visit chennai for once . They would at least learn some traffic management skills .

They would learn nothing. I have driven in Chennai and did not find the situation any better. If it is the pedestrians here, it is the cyclists there who run haphazardly through traffic and expect right of way everytime, no matter which direction they are coming from.

And it is not the policy makers, it is the road users who have to follow the lane system. That is you and me !!

actually, service lanes are very much needed, but the govt goofed up with the number of lanes on the main road. They should have planned for a 6-lane(or at least 4 lane) for the current ORR, Hosur road etc.

Traffic signal lengths are pretty high, but do you really think that bringing them to 70 would improve things? I think not. More changes of lights just adds to more confusion.

[tsk1979]

To put things in perspective, I have seen the traffic in Delhi,Chennai, Hyd and Bangalore.
In Delhi you are most likely to be shot for cutting someone. Maybe thats the reason, or its the wide roads that the traffic is most streamlined.
Bangalore is the bottom. Very obvious. Take airport road, manipal hospital.
Two lanes, one occupied by a bus and 10000+ cars getting out of the various software companies in and around Airport/Wind tunnel/CV raman nagar areas.
So how is it possible you do not have a traffic jam.
Delhi ring road is signal free from DND to Moti bagh, a good 10+ kms. But still the bottleneck is after DND flyway where buses make 3.5 lanes to 2.5 or 2 lanes and sometimes 1.5 lanes while stopping. All the traffic jams are near bus bays.
Same problem in bangalore, all bus stops are near intersections, and where they are away from intersections, the bus passengers do not go to the bus stop buy flag down buses in intersections. This problem is there in Noida too where there is no policing of buses.
So go anywhere, the traffic will be bad, but how bad depends upon Number of vehicles/Road area.
No city in India has a traffic sense. Unless there is a policeman at every corner. No wonder chd traffic is so nice. Its not sense, its fear.

[vid6639]

Also in bangalore there are illegal bus stops where flyovers start, e.g. silk board flyover hosur road to koramanagala. There's always a jam cause the private and BMTC buses gather around the bottom of the flyover.

Also there are places where the divider is broken on hosur road. these are the most dangerous as autos and 2 wheelers use this as a U-turn point rather than going a few hundred metres ahead and taking a u turn. all this just adds to the chaotic traffic.

The Sirsi circle flyover has illegal bus stops right in the middle of the flyover at the exit ramp to market area.

[DieselFan]

Its fear everywhere that brings in Discipline. It is fear of Cops and Huge fines in US or fear of Camera in UK

[urdudesamy]

Originally Posted by DieselFan

Its fear everywhere that brings in Discipline. It is fear of Cops and Huge fines in US or fear of Camera in UK

Well... please don't give any such ideas to bangalore cops...
as they'll take the part of your idea which benefits them and leave teh rest , in short create another mess...

The fear would be created for non karnataka vehicles for road tax... even if you have paid road tax and your registration is non ka all rules apply to you and any rule broken by anyone near you will be implied on you...

Last evening i was in the middle lane and there was a jam at a section so i smoothly but fast changed my lane to take a left turn.. lane changed smoothly and when i tried to take a left a cyclist wants to go straiught and just pedddals in... behind me is a cop car which start tailing me and flashing me.... why because i was about to hit the cyclist... well...

I think its about people itself... as maxwell periara said about delhi when it was bad.... "it's all about giving way" if every one respects giving way, to anyone who can go faster or which can lead to avoiding a jam or confusion, bingo...

I think if people keep their egos and selfishness aside in bangalore while drivng a lot of jams can be avoided...

i ahve seen people putting the car's nose in between so that whenever the jam opens they can move while inturn not realising that untill unless he lets the person go the jam won't open...

if a person flashes for side... let him go.. as he flashed because he can go past.... - give way...

half car drivers are still stuck to rx100's and tvs 50. - their cars will be half in one lane and half in another because they wanna see whats ahead of the car in front but don't want to overtake...

a car will only change lanes and zip past because it can and someone is blocking the way... - give way...

most of the drivers in bangalore never drove cars before going to the US... or were learners here... after coming down from the US they believe in rules and regs without a logical reason behind it...

"aaaa how are you driving da.. speed limit is 50kmph..., why are you flashing your headlights or honking"
"yeah, you were at 50kmph the first car on the open road, please look behind and realise that you had been drivng at 50kmph and traffic is being held up behind you sirrr... Please, increase speed so that the traffic moves at a faster pace..."
"aaaaaa, talk sensibly, rules are to be followed"
give way...

I'm really get upset at what to improve and what not to...

If you don't want people to drink and rive.. why don't you use your god damn volvo busses which are rotting at night parked at bus stations...
run them at night for people pubbing so that we don't drink and drive. we'll take the busses instead... we'll be happy to do so...

But no we wanna create trouble to people coz we don't believe the young generation to be like that.. moral policing... worst half of bangaloreans support it.

Police should watch and catch not catch and watch.. they'll catch everyone. why can't they be on vigil and catch who doesn't seem to be normal enough to drive... "No we wanna stop crime before it happens. yeah, sure why not.."

A lot of people might find me wrong.. no offence.. think about it with a cool head... do you want to breathe easy or want to waste your time thinking what others are doing...

Samy

[dadu]

Very true, even in the middleast (dubai) you will hardly see any cops or the police cars but nobody jumps the light or even the STOP lines, why ???

Most crossing have high speed camera's which click a nice picture of your vehicle registration number and post the challan to you. Although regulars know where these camera's are on the highways and slow down to avoid speed challans.

Think about not paying them, you have vehicle inspection every year for renewal of your registrations.

Think you were not there, pay a fee close to the challan fee to get your picture in print. Most people prefer to pay the challan (else it double's up as print + challan cost)

Driving without a license, easy wasy for migrants to spend a night in jail and catch the next flight home and get your PP stamped as banned.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Whoever that was, he has such callous disregard for people's time. A few thousand souls have missed appointments, cancelled business meetings, died on the way to hospital or have missed flights themselves for this MORON who has no public sense whatsoever.

Yeah, he is the public. We will never change. Has lots to do with hero/idol worship.

[leodelg]

Originally Posted by dadu

Very true, even in the middleast (dubai) you will hardly see any cops or the police cars but nobody jumps the light or even the STOP lines, why ???

Most crossing have high speed camera's which click a nice picture of your vehicle registration number and post the challan to you. Although regulars know where these camera's are on the highways and slow down to avoid speed challans.

Think about not paying them, you have vehicle inspection every year for renewal of your registrations.

Think you were not there, pay a fee close to the challan fee to get your picture in print. Most people prefer to pay the challan (else it double's up as print + challan cost)

Driving without a license, easy wasy for migrants to spend a night in jail and catch the next flight home and get your PP stamped as banned.

yea true... in some middle-east countries, your car is due for inspection every year... during the inspection, you will have to show all the documents like insurance, pollution, etc. Then the authorities will check if there are any pending fines against you. If you have, you'll have to settle it then and there. And finally, there is a vehicle inspection to check if vehicle is road worthy..... they check the stuff like headlights, brakelights, indicators, noise level, etc. In fact, our old lancer had once failed this inspection because the hand brake wasnt tight enough!! They told my dad to get it tightened and bring it back!! Anyways, once all this is done, they'll give a pass that you'll have to display on the windscreen. This pass will have separate colors for each month of the year and also in which year it was issued. So the traffic cops can know that all the documents of the vehicle are in order just by having a glance at the windscreen from even 10 metres. Such a initiative should be taken up here as it'll put an end to the unnecessary harassment by the corrupt cops.

I have attached a pic of my friend's ride in Bahrain. I have encircled in red, the pass stuck on the windscreen..... It is a simple, but very beneficial concept. By the way, the Dodge charger is an amazing ride... 350BHP V8... will simply blow you away!

[w 12]

Originally Posted by urdudesamy

If you don't want people to drink and rive.. why don't you use your god damn volvo busses which are rotting at night parked at bus stations...
run them at night for people pubbing so that we don't drink and drive. we'll take the busses instead... we'll be happy to do so...

Drunken Driving is an offence , not just in BAngalore, but all over the world. Moral policing has nothing to do with catching people , who drive under influence..

Why dont the pubbers hire a cab / taxi / auto instead of driving after partying? or better still have a designated non drinker to drive back, as it happens all over the world. A volvo bus carries 50+ people....3 or four drunk pubbers getting into it late nigh after party , will make it a losing proposition..and this loss will have to be made up by higher charges given by other users of KSRTC.. not fair IMO.. people who can afford to pub and party should be able to afford a safe ride back home as well..

[ajmat]

Give more sight to BMTC buses. One decided to change lane and missed seeing me and bang goes my drivers side mirror...sigh

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by w 12

Drunken Driving is an offence

Why dont the pubbers hire a cab / taxi / auto instead of driving after partying?

Sometimes the friendly auto wallah that hangs around these pubs is also drunk. Designated driver is fine unless he too ends up like this Red Bull overdose? - boards.ie
after drinking too many red bulls. LOL

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by urdudesamy

A lot of people might find me wrong.. no offence.. think about it with a cool head... do you want to breathe easy or want to waste your time thinking what others are doing..

You are very right. My spoken language gets progressively worse after every day that I spend driving in India (which is every day), and after that my spoken language stabilizes and my driving gets progressively worse.

Why cant people learn to GIVE WAY? Is there an ego issue with waiting for someone to complete a lane change or a turn - why does everyone have to RUSH around him even if he has indicated his intention to turn?

Why cant people learn to wait for traffic when they join a road? Why do they have to but in and spend the next 50 seconds trying to get upto speed with the traffic, frustrating everyone else behind?

Why does someone have to shift down and increase speed JUST as you are about to overtake him?

Why do people honk at you AFTER you've overtaken them?

When there an OBVIOUSLY faster vehicle coming behind you, why do you have to start a slow overtaking manouvre just then?

I think we need a 'Drive Decently' STICKY thread with a set of basic instructions.

Originally Posted by w 12

Why dont the pubbers hire a cab / taxi / auto instead of driving after partying?..

Actually, we have a terrific Dial-A-Chauffer service in Dubai that was introduced recently and has been overwhelmingly successful. If you're drunk or just too tired to drive thru the traffic anymore, just dial them.

[DieselFan]

Originally Posted by w 12

Drunken Driving is an offence , not just in BAngalore, but all over the world. Moral policing has nothing to do with catching people , who drive under influence..

Why dont the pubbers hire a cab / taxi / auto instead of driving after partying? or better still have a designated non drinker to drive back, as it happens all over the world. A volvo bus carries 50+ people....3 or four drunk pubbers getting into it late nigh after party , will make it a losing proposition..and this loss will have to be made up by higher charges given by other users of KSRTC.. not fair IMO.. people who can afford to pub and party should be able to afford a safe ride back home as well..

I agree. It is very risky for the person who is DUI and other road users. It is safest if one has a designated Driver (A teetotaller in the party) to take people with too much alcohol in their blood back home. Please do not bank on buses taxis etc. have a designated driver before the party starts.

[w 12]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Actually, we have a terrific Dial-A-Chauffer service in Dubai that was introduced recently and has been overwhelmingly successful. If you're drunk or just too tired to drive thru the traffic anymore, just dial them.

There is a radio taxi service available in Bangalore..called city taxi, there are multiple operators....you call a designated number and the cab will pick you up from where ever you are..24x7..They can wait for you to finish your party and drop you back home as well, ofcourse for a price.( needs improvement in terms of response time..but a good start never the less)

ofourse many pubbers would rather spend this money on a few more drinks than on a safe ride back home

[Rocky_Balboa]

Well, for reasons We dont understand, i always see 4wheelers occupying every lane in hosur road which leaves the 2 wheelers zigzag around them! its other way around inside city.

And i find Blore traffic not worse if not better than Chennai traffic, having driven for more than a decade in chennai, I can vouch that its pathetic there with cyclewallahs. If its cycles there its pedestrians here.

I love the suggestion to have dedicated lanes demarcating 2, 3 wheelers from 4, 4+ wheelers.