[gsurya]

Just this morning when turning into JVLR, I was waiting patiently for signal to turn red, when an auto decided to zoom across while he was blindsided by a bus.

A car that was rightly driving on a green signal dashed into this auto & toppled it. Autowallah got his hand trapped & fractured it.

Still traffic policeman booked the car driver & called the police! Dont know what happens next to the poor fellow but our lawkeepers always ignore those breaking the law in the first place & target the one not at fault but get caught in the accident.

Something basically wrong with many of our thought processes, we always seem to take the chance when we can break the law & get away.

[ashishmathur14]

There are multiple factors starting from Moral Values to Stricter Rules which can set the tone right for Traffic in India.

Moral Education: We must always educate the younger generation to respect life, Life of others and Self. The reckless driving so many times end up taking a life, it is just a moment of impulse or heat which causes maximum damage. Being calm and patient while behind the wheel should be deep rooted in children right from the childhood. While driving with children in the car one must always follow all traffic rules, and guide them along making them understand the practical way, It would gradually start producing Law abiding citizens. One has to embed the analogy in the younger generations.

Nab the Cabbies: The most reckless lot are the cabbies, To make this community better the ownership has to be shared between the passengers, cops and government. If you are riding in one, ask the cabbie to drive in speed limit and follow other traffic rules, rather than asking him take you to X place in quick time or insisting on short cuts. The Taxi service providers should also filter the drivers and be extremely strict on reckless driving. Let the drivers be responsible for accidental damages incurred, be it on sharing basis, but the driver will have this is mind before pressing on gas.
The cab driver should be made accountable for any accident and should be barred from driving for X months.

Police & Government: The law enforcing agencies should also bring in stricter fines & punishments. The one night imprisonment by Mumbai Police has reduced a lot of drink and drive cases in Mumbai, and a common man has fear of being caught for being drunk and driving. Higher monetary fines will only fuse more corruption, although current ones are meager. Definitely the fines should be increased, moreover , the process should be revived so the guilty learns from his mistake and does not commit it again. Something like, Confiscating the vehicle for a day for a “No Parking ” offence. It will generate the awareness as well as fear.
The commercial driving license process should be streamlined to have better drivers, Psychometric tests or Anger Management Tests should be done to understand the behavior of the driver and related trainings or counselling should be provided.

At last, Only the ones behind the wheels can bring the traffic standards up , be it any city. As a society , we need to be more humble and giving towards human life.

[pushpender_s]

I am in japan for the past 15 days on a business trip.

My few observations on the traffic conditions here.

1. People are very particular in following the traffic rules.
2. Majority of the portion of the road which i commute daily is a 2 lanned road without any divider in between, still i do not see any traffic jams.
3. On the traffic signals, people don't even dare to cross the white line prior to zebra crossing.
4. Pedestrians follow traffic signals and cross the road accordingly even if there is no incoming vehicle in sight.
5. On the traffic signals, people don't jump lanes however high may the traffic volume. Sometimes it takes more than 5 minutes to cross a signal in morning and evening peak hours but everybody waits patiently.
6. On the expressway, overtaking lanes are strictly used for over taking only. Once you are done overtaking, people immediately move on the centre lane.
7. Yet to hear the horn sound.
7. Yet to see a cop at any junction or the whole route.
8. Yet to see a car with any sort of dent or scratch.

My Japanese boss said once "In India, everyone seems in so much of hurry but still is never on time."
He has a driving experience of more than 30 years but very afraid of driving in India and has not even tried, looking at our driving styles and traffic courtesies.

[raghu.t.k]

In my opinion, it should be Civic sense, care for other fellow humans, and stringent and clean enforcement.

In Chennai, if we go back to the 80's the lane discipline, stopping before the stop line, personal space all existed. With increase in the number of vehicles, lack of respect for law and other humans, lax law enforcement, and 'Do you know who I am' or lets pay it off attitude has resulted in today's situation. Be it the lane discipline, stopping before the stop line, respect/care for others all of it is out.

To fix it we first need to have clean and strict enforcement, then moral education of kids where they feel ashamed when the parents violate the law. This should be very powerful, given the influence the current kids have on the family.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by pushpender_s

My Japanese boss said once "In India, everyone seems in so much of hurry but still is never on time."

Well he missed the point
People in India are in so much of hurry ALL THE TIME, because they are never on time to begin with!
Thorough indiscipline and no foresight to plan.

What you talk about pedestrian stopping at roads and waiting for their turn can never happen in India, in spite of so many people getting killed.

[raghu.t.k]

Originally Posted by pushpender_s

I am in japan for the past 15 days on a business trip.

My few observations on the traffic conditions here.
....
7. Yet to hear the horn sound.
....
He has a driving experience of more than 30 years but very afraid of driving in India and has not even tried, looking at our driving styles and traffic courtesies.

I am also told that they are extremely polite on the road, and the infrastructure is extremely wheelchair friendly. And if for some reason the wheel chair is taken on the road, they politely wait/ follow quietly until they are back on the foothpath.

In India, a bare minimum of 2-3 vehicles would blast their horns, and 3-4 bikes would have intimidated them.

This is why I mentioned that the next generation needs to be taught morals and civic sense to the extent that they make their friends and families ashamed of their behavior whenever they break the rules. Sadly dont see that happening and on the contrary its going worse, with competitiveness, the pass percentage and number of toppers, than instilling morals and discipline.

[pushpender_s]

Over here, people have respect for each other and utmost care for human life.
These people are so humble in their behavior which is not only being displayed in office but same humbleness is carried to roads also.

Eg: In parking areas, if there is any other car approaching on a junction, they let the other vehicle pass which is a distant dream in our country.

The whole road and rail infrastructure has facilities for disabled. Everything has been designed and executed for their convenience.
And the best part is everyone is happy to help each other on the roads.

[NowNew7]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

And what about steeply increased traffic fines? Would they prefer to pay in cash without a receipt, getting a bargain of 50% discount in the process?

We definitely need fines heavy enough that they really pinch even if a "50% Discount" happens. If you had to pay a basic of 5000 rupees rather than 50 rupees, even trying to negotiate off the books would be a hefty enough sum to discourage repeat offences.

[raghu.t.k]

Originally Posted by NowNew7

We definitely need fines heavy enough that they really pinch even if a "50% Discount" happens. If you had to pay a basic of 5000 rupees rather than 50 rupees, even trying to negotiate off the books would be a hefty enough sum to discourage repeat offences.

Just increasing the fine without cleaning up the corruption would increase the money into the corrupt policemen's pocket. So if the public pay 50 today it could increase to 500 or 1000. It still will not address the "well connected" offenders, who should be corrected first.

[pushpender_s]

The change starts from within.
The guys over here don't even know about bribe or corruption unless someone has spent some time in India.

Eg: Me and my Japanese colleague are having dinner together daily and beer is very normal here with food.

Only when they won't be driving, then only they will consume otherwise its a dry day for them.

In all offences, fines are very hefty here, but may be due to their nature or civic sense nobody even dares to cross the line.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by pushpender_s

but may be due to their nature or civic sense nobody even dares to cross the line.

Nah, there is nothing like nature in all this.

The thing is that:
1. Fines/punishments are severe
2. Corruption is negligible, therefore no negotiations on point no.1
3. There is a social stigma attached to getting caught and prosecuted
4. This, over a period of time, gets institutionalized, no one wishes to break the law at the same time understanding the consequences (on themselves as well as others) if they do break, and therefore outsiders feel that it is in their nature/culture etc

If you are under an impression that it is in their nature, then ask them about Olympus and other scandals listed here: https://www.uni-due.de/in-east/filea...en/paper23.pdf

[apachelongbow]

Indians fear only one thing. Money going out of their pockets. We should do nothing, except: A massive increase in fines/penalties for all kinds of road offenses. Just add a zero or two to the existing fines. When the minimum fine increases to a few thousands for the first offense, and compounded for repeat ones, watch how every Indian religiously follows each rule.
I know the usual hullabaloo about how the corrupt police will trap people with false fines will follow. That is a separate issue, on how to clean up corruption. It should not be linked with increased penalties. A fine has to be so much as to pinch the offender, then only will it work.

[Sheel]

Severe OT, apologies

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

That is a separate issue, on how to clean up corruption.

India cannot get rid of corruption. It can't. When the percentage of work goes to CM as well District Magistrates & Superintendent of Police + party funds, who will end corruption?

A sad but true reality.

[shankar.balan]

India is incorrigible. The people are incorrigible.

With this level of population and lack of infrastructure we cannot have a car borne society.

We badly need public transport of a high quality and efficiency level.

In the meanwhile, the only way we can ensure greater road safety and following of rules is by imposing and levying tougher fines, confiscation of license etc.

Cameras at all major points will also help.

But administering such a huge and unruly country is a frightening challenge.

[Hayek]

Lot of folks have talked about the need for cultural change - and I have to agree. It's not just traffic rules we don't follow, as a people, we have developed a culture where those who follow rules and behave in a decent manner are seen as fools. That is borne out everywhere - how many businessmen, doctors, lawyers or other self employed professionals pay their taxes correctly? How many of us would go to the passport office (which now works quite well) a few times to get our work done rather than pay an agent? Just look at the luxury cars on Team BHP or in any affluent apartment block in Bombay? Why is it that so many of them are registered in JH or CG or CH or DD, even though their owners live in Bombay and use Bombay streets?

The sad truth is that the problem starts with us - too many of us are happy to break rules, cheat and indulge in what is actually downright criminal activity, while making excuses for our own behaviour. This downright criminal culture is visible in our traffic.

How can it change? It has to start with the affluent, realising that a dysfunctional society will lead to a smaller pie for all of us, and deciding to change starting with ourselves. Let each of us follow traffic rules, even if others don't. Let each of us pay our taxes correctly - which includes getting a registration transferred from DL to KA if we are moving for more than 6 months (or 1 month or whatever else the law says). Tell our neighbour who has the Porsche or Audi registered in JH that we consider what they are doing stealing. We can campaign to change the law - eg to get the speed limits on the Worli Bandra sea link raised or for one country - one tax rate, but must follow the law till it changes.

Unless we are willing to do it that, in every aspect of our life, India is not going to change. And such threads are pointless. Sorry for the rant