[Ram]

Originally Posted by sajo

...and a huge student population too. Seriously, Pune traffic is hell and Mumbai is pure bliss (compared to Pune).

As the metropolis of Pune grows, traffic must surely increase. If it increases any more, it might choke the city to a dead halt. The culprit? Indisciplined road behavior!

The Puneite has no motivation to discipline herself. Why? Because, law enforcement is absent.
There are too few traffic cops. And those that exist don’t do their jobs.

Pune needs more mobile traffic cops at every junction, to stop and fine antisocial Puneites on the spot. The prospect of losing a couple hundred rupees for every violation will iron out this city's wrinkles.

For rules to be followed, they have to be strictly and severely enforced. Otherwise Pune can’t have any hope for her future.

[deepug]

I think, the main problem is lack of proper training. Almost all the driving schools give training with only goal of getting a license and completing the training as fast as possible - more time with one is more oppurtunity lost. None of the driving schools teach anything on traffic etiquetts. Heard somewhere that Maruti is starting Driving schools with simulators and stuff like that. Hope this will make a difference . There are many instances when oncoming vehicles blind you with a High beam ,even if your's is on low , when they near you. Dont have a clue why they do this . Barring a few almost all drivers are self centered. It seems it's below their esteem to be behind another vehicle - result more lanes than the road was ever designed for. To top it all bad traffic management, corrupt cops - we drive in hell.

Deepu

[GTO]

I find the traffic flow in the drive from Shivaji Park to South Bombay infinitely more organised than the suburbs. Wider roads and lack of rickshaws could be just two of many reasons.

However, I do make it a point to beat rush hour traffic every morning by leaving home at 8:45.

GTO

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by jat

I

I That Honda Accord used to zoom ahead at all the traffic lights and was leading everybody but at the next traffic light was again at par with us. A very poor driver indeed. He must have wasted lot of fuel and I don't know whom he was impressing. On the otherhand, our taxi driver was an excellent driver. Except for a couple of reds he always got greens and maintained a steady speed. Both of vehicles took same time to travel same distant. Thus taxi driver must have saved some fuel and also was less likely to create a traffic jam compared to Honda Accord driver.

There is another angle to this tooo -- 18 BHP v/s 140 BHp - the taxi driver didint have enough power to race through to the next signal.

[anoop.mathew]

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to check with other T-BHPians if they have noticed a dramatic increase in traffic jams recently (since August 2011)?

I frequently need to go to Nariman Pt from Andheri and return. I have noticed that the return journey, if you start after 5pm, nearly takes 3 hours!!

The Western Express Highway is bumper to bumper from the Kherwadi signal upto the JVLR flyover, inspite of NOT having any traffic lights in between.

The only thing I can think of, for these kind of jams, is that the number of cars have become too much to handle. If the highway itself can't handle the number of cars, what hope for other arterial roads - like JVLR or any of the East-West crossings over the Western Railway line?

I think something like Singapore's car policy - car licence plates are auctioned to the highest bidder, heavy taxation and evening/weekend license plates are required. Unfortunately, Mumbai does not have the infrastructure that is present in Singapore.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by anoop.mathew

...have noticed that the return journey, if you start after 5pm, nearly takes 3 hours!!

The Western Express Highway is bumper to bumper from the Kherwadi signal upto the JVLR flyover, inspite of NOT having any traffic lights in between.

Also the traffic is too heterogenous: Scooters, four-axle lorries, Light motorbikes, Tata Nanos, forty-foot container trailers, Tata Aces, SUVs, Indicas, three-axle cement mixers, Volvo buses, Santros, BEST buses, Logans, Octavia/Lauras, Autorickshaws, Corollas ...

Unfortunately our outdated RTOs lump the Nano and the Endeavour in the same LMV category.

Too much switching lanes and weaving into gaps, slamming on the brakes, each driver with contempt for every other road user...

Severe lack of culture and caring ..

Originally Posted by anoop.mathew

I think something like Singapore's car policy - car licence plates are auctioned to the highest bidder, heavy taxation and evening/weekend license plates are required. Unfortunately, Mumbai does not have the infrastructure that is present in Singapore.

If car licence plates are auctioned to the highest bidder, what will the Politicians bid? Builders? Goondas and Thugs? sorry, am I repeating myself?

[ashwin_m0]

Sorry for slightly straying from the topic of main point of Bad driving.

I have been noticing that the present lot of Drivers also do not like to use the Head light dippers. It makes me yearn for that period when the headlights had to be painted black i.e. from the top rim to mid centre of the headlight. This was to avoid excessive use of full headlight and focus more on the road.

This practice of full headlights on I see in cities that have good street lighting.

If we control our lust for speed and powerful headlights, I believe the roads can be a much better for driving.

[ashwin_m0]

Admittedly the traffic has become heavy. At the same time cases of road rage has also gone up.

By speeding to the next signal and then slamming on the brakes is no sign of good driving.

One bad habit I see with many a motorist is using the headlights on full power. When I asked some of them as to why they do not use the dipper switch on the headlights, I am informed that they do not know how and when to use them. Some of them just laugh away the query.

I believe that we must internally resolve that we should not be bad motorists by inconveniencing other motorists on account of bad driving habits.

Do not want to sermonize but am saying all this because I was a victim of this and had a near close save.

[anky]

Originally Posted by GTO

I find the traffic flow in the drive from Shivaji Park to South Bombay infinitely more organised than the suburbs. Wider roads and lack of rickshaws could be just two of many reasons.

However, I do make it a point to beat rush hour traffic every morning by leaving home at 8:45.

GTO

Shivaji Park to South Bombay mon to fri at 8 everyday no traffic but evening at 5 to shivaji park traffic . Alto giving 12kmpl 50%ac lxi2004.

[raul]

I think this is inevitable in an overpopulated metropolis with extremely poor planning and rampant corruption.

Given that we are an overpopulated country planning would play much more important role for us but there is no planning in most of our cities, high density traffic contributors like malls, residential towers, office blocks, hospitals, hotels are allowed to come up with little regard for the impact they will have on traffic and it keeps getting worse.

To give you a typical example the Marol road off Andheri Kurla road is always jampacked, Yet a 1500 bed hospital - Seven hills, has been allowed to come up on this 2 lane road. The moment a single car, auto has to turn in from the wrong side there is a humongous jam and complete chaos in a already stressed packed road - how does an ambulance get in? There is no way this road can sustain the heavy traffic a 1500 bed hospital would bring, yet there it is, and this is repeated across Mumbai.

For the individual driver the best policy is to be alert and avoid any stressful situation and focus on getting to work or home happy and peaceful. Given we are an overpopulated country we will always have to deal with extremes even with good planning, the fact that we don't have this make things infinitely worse. The only hope is better public transport.

One can blame individuals but check the traffic behavior in a place like New York and contrast that with a less dense place like Palo Alto, here people actually give way, wait for pedestrians, in cities its different, and the more dense traffic is the worse road behavior gets.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by anoop.mathew

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to check with other T-BHPians if they have noticed a dramatic increase in traffic jams recently (since August 2011)?

+ 1
The traffic has got worse ever since the monsoons started. I have also noticed a drop in fuel efficiency due to the traffic ! I travel from Malad to South Mumbai & back everyday. It takes me about 4-5 hrs to cover a distance of 80 kms everyday. And it really gets worse after 6pm !
I tell you,those who have offices close to their homes are the most blessed souls in Mumbai.

And this whole journey is made worse by my driver who keeps giving jerks,sharp braking & constantly changing lanes!

[ramie2400]

At this point of time,BOMBAY has INDIA'S WORST BAD ROADS,not even a single stretch except the sea-link is in level or smooth.Hate staying in Bombay now.

[faustus77]

hi everybody

south of shivaji park traffic is definitely better as there are no autos.
unfortunately discipline has gone for a toss everywhere in india.
you have no parking sign just for decoration.A driver has parked underneath it.nothing happens if a tow van passes as he is sitting in the car.A car with or without a driver occupies the same space.
i used a see a mercedes parked everyday right outside shivaji park gymkhana even when it was a no parking day on that side.the tow van would just pass
by
years back nobody drove in bombay with headlamps on.Drivers from the opp side would shout at him andha hai kya or kaunse school mein driving seekha hai(are you blind or which school have you learnt driving from)
today even when stopping at a signal nobody switches off the headlamps and more often than not they are on full beam.IT takes a second to put them off yet people dont do it.
Everybody wants to be first off the signal so all try and go ahead of the first and they have technically crossed the signal.
most of the traffic cops you will find are in a pair or threesome.When did you last see a single cop directing traffic from the centre of the road?
rgds

[souravc]

Originally Posted by PPS

+ 1
The traffic has got worse ever since the monsoons started. I have also noticed a drop in fuel efficiency due to the traffic ! I travel from Malad to South Mumbai & back everyday. It takes me about 4-5 hrs to cover a distance of 80 kms everyday. And it really gets worse after 6pm !
I tell you,those who have offices close to their homes are the most blessed souls in Mumbai.

And this whole journey is made worse by my driver who keeps giving jerks,sharp braking & constantly changing lanes!

I have friends who are moving into smaller 1 bed room apartments nearer to their office in South Mumbai because of the unbearable traffic - just drives me insane that I have to spend more than 10% of my day in the midst of the unbearable traffic . BTW , anyone forgot the incessant honking ? I feel like shouting "Moron, what are you honking at ? We are in a traffic jam and my car can't fly over the cars ahead ! " People should realise that we are functionally deaf so any amount of honking is not going to help , so why not relax and not honk !

[anky]

Originally Posted by faustus77

hi everybody

south of shivaji park traffic is definitely better as there are no autos.
unfortunately discipline has gone for a toss everywhere in india.
you have no parking sign just for decoration.A driver has parked underneath it.nothing happens if a tow van passes as he is sitting in the car.A car with or without a driver occupies the same space.
i used a see a mercedes parked everyday right outside shivaji park gymkhana even when it was a no parking day on that side.the tow van would just pass
by
years back nobody drove in bombay with headlamps on.Drivers from the opp side would shout at him andha hai kya or kaunse school mein driving seekha hai(are you blind or which school have you learnt driving from)
today even when stopping at a signal nobody switches off the headlamps and more often than not they are on full beam.IT takes a second to put them off yet people dont do it.
Everybody wants to be first off the signal so all try and go ahead of the first and they have technically crossed the signal.
most of the traffic cops you will find are in a pair or threesome.When did you last see a single cop directing traffic from the centre of the road?
rgds

Maybe the merc belonged to Raj Thackrey as he stays in the next lane ? So nobody towed it ? U see at sena bhavan when there is a meeting there all the shiv sena people park on the main road and create chaos . Police are mute bystanders . Jai Hind Jai Maharashtra . Politicians become richer we become poorer and miserable . Pertol at 100 rs/lt any takers ? Loke we have a choice