[chase_nt]

Originally Posted by ads1485

Hi All,

I live in Mumbai and I absolutely hate the state of traffic in the city.

I know the infrastructure of the city is partly to blame for our traffic woes, but I believe that the main reason for a lot of problems, is the INCONSIDERATE, APATHETIC, SHORT SIGHTED & LAZY nature of people who drive, ride, cycle and even walk on the roads.

Unfortunately this is the state of affairs that you come across not just in Mumbai but almost everywhere in India. People are so inconsiderate about their fellow road users and all they really care about is getting their job done or reaching their destination and winning the rat race. I really commend you for trying to hammer some sense into people and bring about a bit of change. At the end of the day we do not really know how many of these people would remember what happened and decide to mend their fallacious ways but at least there are some amazing citizens such as yourself who are trying to bring about some change in the hordes

[Mortis]

Oh one more thing I thought of, you should change the name from 'Mamoo' patrol if you want proper help from the cops since they get offended by the 'mama' slang term used for them.

[autoskooll]

Ignorance & the utter lack of civic sense of some of our citizens caught on camera. A great initiative indeed to bust people dead in their tracks. Cause lets face it enforcing rules is a challenge with the "Chalta Hai attitude" that we're oh too familiar with. Such a movement must be publicised well and teams should be scrambled across the city with the backing of the Police of course and as Bhpian Akshay pointed out, along with some beefy dudes around for protection. Mumbai was second only after Delhi in the highest number of road incidents recorded last year and according to a recent BBC article, the Mumbai Pune Expressway is now officially one of the most dangerous roads in the world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37362728
Ive mentioned before elsewhere on this forum that a lack of proper motoring education coupled with bad infrastructure, an inability to enforce the law and increasing number of vehicles is nothing but a recipe for disaster.

[swiftnfurious]

Great job there man! Am a big fan the 'Stop the douchebag' movement and see their videos endlessly. What I also like about them is how they are polite and stand ground and also how they make a mockery of certain people who go overboard (Some of the comments of frustrated offencers are also equally entertaining).

I know you guys have taken extra efforts from your busy life to do it; could you stretch it a bit and could check with the traffic police to use these videos to take action on the offenders? If the Mumbai traffic police can give a bit of PR to this activity, am sure some more will follow and people will actually be scared to break rules fearing 'camera action'. More than the fines, getting exposed within the social circles will be more of a shame to them and for the right reasons.

Once again, a very good initiative guys!

Edit :: I'd personally like to see 'educated' people being tracked and their responses (not trying to hint that you guys have been partial; but am sure you'll get to catch some of those guys too eventually). This video has people from the lower rung of the society (rick drivers / hired drivers). Am sure most of these guys would get a dress down from their saheb's & madam's if they spend a bit more fuel and park in a proper place and make the owners 'walk' that extra 'metre'.

[ads1485]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

That's a nice initiative! It's fun to see the number of excuses people come up with, but don't know how to change their habits!

ads1485 - Thank you for the appreciation and your concern for our safety, W.A.G.7! I hope the momentum picks up soon and we get more supporters. Please do share the video, to spread the word!

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

This is a nice initiative. I always think that traffic violating Indian drivers have a ‘Ambulance driver mentality’.

ads1485 - That's a very unique analogy, sumeetthaldankar

"Ambulance" drivers who jeopardize more lives than they save...only in India.

Originally Posted by vikram31

If no reaction, will send this info to media. Thoughts bhpians?

ads1485 - Thank you for the appreciation, vikram31! The problem is that the higher ups usually turn a deaf ear to initiatives such as these, without the requisite public support. Therefore, I thought that instead of formulating theories and burning my blood trying to get the people in power to notice, I'd just take action at some level and then hope that the public support for it would make them take us seriously. So far, I'm pretty overwhelmed by the positive response. The momentum is picking up slowly and once we have enough steam, we'll try and make this official.

As always, if you haven't already, please do share the video in your social network to spread the word. Cheers!

Originally Posted by PraNeel

I have a suggestion, you guys should gather support through social media and other means to gather more volunteers. You can also take help of school children if possible. This will create more impact. There are platforms like "Better India" (http://www.thebetterindia.com/) who always support such noble initiatives.

ads1485 - Thank you for the kind words and your observations, PraNeel! As for the social media promotions, we have already written to several online news outlets like Logical Indian & The Better India. Lets hope they pick up the news soon - it will give us a much needed boost. Fingers crossed!

Originally Posted by Ruchitya

Please do not take any 'direct' action, as you mentioned, by pasting stickers on another person's property. It makes you a vandal, a different kind of nuisance to society.

ads1485 - Hi Ruchitya, first of all thank you for your support.

I think you misunderstood the stickering bit. That is something we intend to do ONLY with official sanction and ONLY if someone is being a major nuisance, refusing to comply after repeated requests. The idea itself is from "Stop a Douchebag," the Russian Youth Movement, which is directed at bettering the traffic situation in Russian Cities.

The ultimate objective, is to make people realize the error of their ways and how it inconveniences everyone on the roads. Vandalism/Violence or Bullying, is NEVER a solution.

Speaking of vandalism, I personally feel that most of these traffic violators are criminals in their own right, since they are well aware that what they are doing is wrong & illegal.

That said, thanks again for your support and please be assured that the objective of this, is to improve the situation, not establish a "gunda-raj."

Originally Posted by amitjha086

The people who break traffic rules frustrate me. In my current city, Birgunj in Nepal, there are several bikers who ride on the wrong side of the road divider just to avoid a U-turn just a few meters away.

ads1485 - Hi amitjha, unfortunately this "chalta hai" mentality seems to be a shared trait among the people of the sub-continent.

Having travelled to several countries, I can safely say that the above observation is rooted in factual observation.

However, the good thing is, that there are plenty of people like you, who may not necessarily confront traffic rule violators, but have regard for the law, all the same. And believe me, my friend...that makes all the difference.

Drive safe!

[Ruchitya]

Originally Posted by ads1485

@ Ruchitya: I think you misunderstood the stickering bit. That is something we intend to do ONLY with official sanction and ONLY if someone is being a major nuisance, refusing to comply after repeated requests. The idea itself is from "Stop a Douchebag," the Russian Youth Movement, which is directed at bettering the traffic situation in Russian Cities.

Thanks for clearing that up. Official sanction would be great. But unless you are 'connected' to a few higher-ups, I guess you would need more public support for that to happen.
Leaving that alone, it is great that you took an initiative to better your city.
However, as others mentioned, do go around in a group. People who get aggravated even by a cautionary honk also ride on our streets. Take care of yourselves as well.
Wish you the best.

[vdm295]

Just saw the video & was amazed to see how are people violating laws and in certain cases putting their life to threat or putting someone else's life to threat.
Hats of to you for taking such a wonderful initiative.

[aghate]

Excellent initiative guys! Kudos to you for your effort!

I agree with the point that if the people decide for themselves the traffic issue will not be there. It is more about having Common/Civic sense, which will come with time or I am afraid has been disappearing with time.

I heard on a Radio Channel that in Pune CCTVs are going to be used to fine traffic violators. It is a welcome change in my opinion.

I am from Pune and see regular traffic violators everyday as I commute. Even the cabs in which I travel. Although, I have lessened it to a great extent as I know the cab drivers for some time and do tell/order them to follow the rules. At least they follow it when I am in the cab. So a start nonetheless.

Another regular offense I see is unnecessary honking when the signal is Red and if the timer is about 10-15 seconds to Green. As if I am going to stay at the signal forever. No patience at all.

I had a mishap where a biker rammed his bike on mine when I slowed down and stopped at Yellow light. The funny part is this happened despite it being a 3 lane road and there was very less traffic and the signal was Red by that time. I follow a rule now, whenever I slow down at Yellow/Red light I take my vehicle to extreme left or right side of road depending on the lane I am in.

[varunsangal]

First off, the patrol is a dangerous mission, unless you have a whole crowd to back you up. The rule breakers and the average person on the road is an angry person, a really angry person. A testament to this fact is the rising number of incidents of traffic cops being beaten up. Second, a great initiative.

My 2 cents on the traffic in Mumbai, bad infrastructure, terrible road etiquette and non-existent respect for rules. @2,3 are fixable but needs strict enforcement. For e.g. jumping red light or indiscriminate lane cutting should give rise to a hefty fine and a suspended licence. Or drunk driving should give rise to a mandatory trial in criminal court. The idea being the fear of the long arm of the law will keep people in check. Also, any hefty fines can be channeled into improving the infrastructure.

Apologies if this sounds like a rant, but I have a fairly strong view on this issue given I drive 50 kms in the Mumbai traffic daily.

[selfdrive]

Nice initiative there, though as others have already mentioned:
- you may want to 'Indianise' it a bit. What works for the Russians may not work for you guys here
- if you go to the cops with this initiative, you may want to remove the 'Mama' reference

There could be another recommendation to perhaps tie up with a TV channel, but that runs the risk of 'dumbing down' the efforts or making a parody out of it.

In my opinion, we are selectively blind to traffic offences. On the one hand, we would brew up a discussion storm if someone stops on the zebra crossing or honks in a designated quiet area. But do we apply the same standards to speeding as an example? I have seen people try to encourage traffic rules in the city and then the same people ignore the rules with impunity on the highways/ expressways. A traffic offender remains an offender regardless of the location or nature of the traffic offence.
Disclaimer: I am not supporting those who violate traffic rules in town. Just stating that the yardstick remains the same for other offences too

[krackr]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

...And deployment of multiple cameras would be a good idea too....

Just a thought - a number of us are equipped with dashcams. Was thinking if there can be a way to collect such videos in a manner that genuine action can be taken against the offenders. Only problem is that they should not meet the same fate as such videos which we see on social media, get some comments, and that's about it.

[luvDriving]

An excellent initiative and I wish you all the very best for success. I am from Pune and I used to stop people driving on the wrong side or on footpaths and request them to drive on the roads/ not drive on the wrong side. The reasons given were the same as we see in this video and none were apologetic, rather the tone was like who are you to stop me.

But no public support -e.g. if I stop someone driver on footpath and ask him to drive on the road, none of the other pedestrians will support or join in protesting against such drivers. But you have started a worthy initiative and I hope it snowballs into something big. The problem is that everyone wants disciplined traffic but no one is willing to be a part of it :P

[jaygeetee]

This is excellent work. Kudos! It's the same, "It doesn't matter if I do it once" attitude that you see everywhere. From throwing garbage to recycling to littering.

If I may suggest, you can also use the reverse psychology of appreciating someone who responds positively or does the right thing. Like one of those windshield stickers. Something that people can carry to show they care about rules. I have seen some "I follow traffic rules" stickers.
This would be great especially for the FB/Instagram generation who like to show off. I am sure no one would want to be caught breaking rules when they have such a sticker on the car.

Keep up the good work, in the least we can have some funny videos. I couldn't stop laughing when the rickshawala blamed his BAD LUCK for running into you twice and not being able to eat in peace

[ads1485]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Oh one more thing I thought of, you should change the name from 'Mamoo' patrol if you want proper help from the cops since they get offended by the 'mama' slang term used for them.

ads1485 - Hey Mortis, I am aware that Mama/Mamoo is a slang term used for cops, but not exclusively so...it basically means a jerk/idiot in Mumbai speak. We're hoping the cops won't take exception to it. If not, then we'll see what we can do.

The "Mamoos" we're referring to, are the traffic violators BTW, just so that we're clear on that

Originally Posted by autoskooll

Ignorance & the utter lack of civic sense of some of our citizens caught on camera.

ads1485 - Thanks, autoskooll! Yes, lack of civic sense and sheer inconsideration about their fellow citizens, is the basic problem here.

Sobering statistic about the Mumbai-Pune Expressway...I do 3-4 runs of the expressway every month, it's easy to see how it's one of the most dangerous roads in the world, especially the ghat stretch, where you're guaranteed atleast one Near Death Experience, each time you traverse it.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Great job there man! Am a big fan the 'Stop the douchebag' movement and see their videos endlessly.

ads1485 - Thank you swiftnfurious! Your support and encouragement is highly appreciated.

About the Police Cooperation, yes that is definitely on the cards. We'll approach the Traffic Police Commissioner, once we have more support. Without official sanction, things do become harder.

As for catching the more well-off folks, yes, we have done that also and these superstars will make an appearance in our subsequent videos.

Not that I'm trying to put the blame on the economically-weaker sections of society, but the truth is that a lot of offenders belong to this demographic, simply because of the high numbers in which they are present on the roads. Auto Wallas are one of the major culprits...you will have probably noticed how the roads are a lot more orderly and less jammed whenever there is an auto strike.

Similarly, we have lorries, tempos, water-tankers and dumpers. A lot of the rich folks have drivers, so we catch them.

Also, the areas that we presently target, are very congested areas with several shops, garages etc...so the possibility of finding autos, lorries etc there are just higher.

That said, rest assured that our intention is not to target any particular demographic.

Once we hit town-side, you'll get your fill of well heeled mamoos, too

Originally Posted by vdm295

Just saw the video & was amazed to see how are people violating laws and in certain cases putting their life to threat or putting someone else's life to threat.
Hats of to you for taking such a wonderful initiative.

ads1485 - Thanks, vdm295!

Originally Posted by aghate

I am from Pune and see regular traffic violators everyday as I commute.

ads1485 - Thank you for the support, aghate!

Ah Pune...the lesser said the better about it.

I lived in Pune for a while and still travel there a few times a month and frankly, the attitude of Puneites towards traffic laws SUCKS.

They break laws with intolerable impunity.

The two things that really get my goat about Pune traffic are people blocking the entire middle lane when they want to go left or right - this usually happens during rush hour. The second thing is a tendency for bikers and scooterists to ride side by side, at a breezy pace, meandering all over the road, holding long meaningful conversations with each other. Those guys are really annoying.

Originally Posted by varunsangal

First off, the patrol is a dangerous mission, unless you have a whole crowd to back you up.

ads1485 - Thank you for the support, varunsangal.

As for the "danger" aspect of it, rest assured that it feels far more dangerous than it actually is. The vast majority of people who commit traffic offences, are well aware of the fact and quickly take rectifying action once confronted.

Unsavoury encounters do happen, but not nearly at the rate that most people imagine.

One of the main objectives of making these videos, is for people to get over their fears and start taking action.

[Mortis]

Hey, I understood that its for the rule breaking Mamoos, but I still think it should be changed, especially if you want to approach cops. They might not be as understanding and give you a chance to explain so you might lose the opportunity.
My boss knows a higher up from the regular non traffic Police Dept, Ill see if I can set up something.
Till then stay safe and hit the gym a bit more to help you with the more aggressive offenders you might come across