[navin]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

If autos and 2 wheelers were banned here (and I'll be the happiest man on earth if that happens) Bangalore will become a paradise overnight.

Bikes and rickshaws are the mosquitoes of the road.

Bikes and rickshaws are how the majority of people travel. There are many whose only options are shared rickshaw (to the train station) or fitting their family of 3 or 4 on a bike for an evening out.

These unfortunate travelers do so because that's the only option they have. If they are going to work, oftentimes their work is to assist us. If you deny them or restrict them the right to commute it will affect the community as a whole.

India is a country of 1.4 billion. I would assume about 10 million (0.1 billion) are car owners. 93% of Indians do NOT own a car. Our car penetration is 22 per 1000 compared to 980 in the US, 850 in the UK, 774 in New Zealand, 740 in Australia, 662 in Canada, and 591 in Japan despite the fact that many of these countries have well developed public transportation in their major cities (NY, London, etc.). Even China has 164 cars per 1000. 8 times India!

source: https://auto.economictimes.indiatime...-kant/67059021

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by navin

Bikes and rickshaws are how the majority of people travel. There are many whose only options are shared rickshaw (to the train station) or fitting their family of 3 or 4 on a bike for an evening out.

These unfortunate travelers do so because that's the only option they have. If they are going to work, oftentimes their work is to assist us. If you deny them or restrict them the right to commute it will affect the community as a whole.

I understand all that, it's truly a fact of life. As I've said in my previous post, it's possible to interpret that as elitism, which it truly and remotely isn't about, but that can be interpreted nonetheless.

Also, I've driven about 1 lakh kilometers in the peak Bangalore traffic which counts as my only driving experience, no late night drives or interstate. In the learning stages, even though traffic was less than half at present, I constantly used to get bullied by autos, they used expletives, excessive honking and threatening gestures as a timepass as as their way of feeling like a king. I'm sure most seasoned Bangaloreans have faced this as well. They honk at a red light, on the extreme right lane just because they want to take an illegal U-turn (their soul-brothers the traffic police won't mind any violation from them) and if I want peace and stay put they yell in their signature fashion, they cut people off, bump into cars, block left side traffic, park anywhere and yet people still respect them? My problem is not with people who use autos, it's with the khakhi rowdies who double charge, triple charge, reject fares and when on the road, do all the above as well. OLA drivers on a target run, drive like a demon possessed.

Now the bikes, where do I start, actually if I had enough time and if I knew video editing, I can record every trip I take, and show all non Bangaloreans the triple riding, helmetless riding, red light violations, sudden overtakings, sudden escaping of red lights randomly, brushing against cars, blocking 10 sets of vehicles behind them across 3 lanes by coming from the extreme left and going extreme right and vice versa, and so much more outright violations. I promise that I'd capture atleast a thousand such valid violations per month, that is only on the routes I take with hardly any driving (500 km per month), if police are serious of recording every violation and penalize accordingly, they'd make maybe a 100 crores per month just off of 2 wheelers of which Swiggy and Zomato would be responsible for roughly half. Their riders almost exclusively go on the wrong way and the others join them in the back as a choo-choo train of idiots.

It's when I started mouthing off to autos and even got out on occasions to face them man to man they become speechless and shrink back into their seats. Bullies cannot be tolerated anymore. These 2 forms of transport continue to be the 2 key reasons of Bangalore traffic's notoriety, I drove once or twice during an auto bandh and I was whistling some happy tunes when I got home like a 10 year old kid.

They will continue to exist, but at a great cost to people like me. If we're serious about safety, traffic rules and keeping them, I hope a few among you can understand my sentiments.

[GeeTee TSI]

Comments on Bangalore Traffic brings to my mind contrasting aspects compared to Mumbai traffic, which I experienced for many years before moving to Bangalore last year.

• Poor driving - not going swiftly when one needs to (no, I don't mean illegal speeds here)
• Oblivion - Going the 'wrong' way adding to the gridlock which delays the very progress one wished for while making that 'wrong' move in the first place.
• Poor signage which compound poorly designed roads - Many arterial roads are barely 2+2 lanes and then there are masterpieces like one-and-a-half-lane flyovers

[Malyaj]

My wife and I travel on ORR daily and cross multiple of these dreaded Ecospace type bottlenecks. There is no way to deal with it except do your bit and feel mentally good about it. Thankfully my workplace is on the way to her office so we travel together and hence use only one vehicle. Since I close late I take the bus back, unless she is returning late too. This gives me mental satisfaction that I am doing my bit to take one car off the road.

No matter what the authorities do, its not going to get better ever. There are more buildings coming up in every IT park and entire new IT parks coming up on the same stretches. You just have to say to yourself that there are others with bigger problems in their lives and treat it philosophically.

[Capricorn]

I live in south Hadapsar part of Pune which is notorious for crazy and highly unsafe railway crossings. People in cars spend 30 mins to 90 mins daily to cover a distance of one km during office commute times. Two wheelers takes half of that time though. This is much slower than publicly known slowest place in Pune, the Hinjewadi. I experienced rest of the Pune has relaxed (comparitively) traffic.

For our vicinity, Google's prediction on ETA were never more than 30% accurate during peak timings. I don't belive people around even know TomTom devices forget owning one. They surely don't have much data to pass onto Analytics. I have few doubts on the study.

1. With deeply penetrated Google is so inaccurate on traffic, how to trust data from TomTom's figures?
2. Did they consider two wheelers, four wheelers and three wheelers (yes they significant in quantity) data separately to arrive at the figures?
3. Has Google produced such report? It would be more on real side.

Disclaimer: I have not been to Banglore since two decades and hence would rather compare Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad with each other which I have recently experienced during weekdays and office timings.

[G-One]

Originally Posted by karan561

I am kinda offended, i thought Mumbai traffic was the worst in the world

Attaching a pic for reference of the Western Express Highway just around pre-rush hour earlier this month;

Attachment 1963015

IMO Mumbai IS the WORST PLACE TO DRIVE till the METRO WORK is ON.

It's a proud moment for us Namma Bengalurians!!

Karan, you may have a piece, but we shall take the cake.

[AMG Power]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Bikes and rickshaws are the mosquitoes of the road.

I'm with you all the way on this. I rate city-bikers as the worst in following traffic rules even worse than autos.

Quite a contrast to the ones you see on highways riding high powered bikes - they follow road rules and courtesies better than most vehicles.

As far as the city bikers are concerned your equating them to flies is perfect. The only thing missing is a fly swatter.

[abhi7013]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

If autos and 2 wheelers were banned here (and I'll be the happiest man on earth if that happens) Bangalore will become a paradise overnight.

Those who want to jump to conclusions that I'm an elitist, think what you may, even vegans have to feel angry at buzzing, blood sucking mosquitoes once in awhile. Bikes and rickshaws are the mosquitoes of the road.

Your statements are both illogical and offensive at the same time. Please feel free to blame the two and three wheelers all you want for the way they ride and i fully accept that most of these guys are a nuisance to others on road.

However you need to understand that the feelings are mutual. Most of the cars in Bangalore are single occupant ones, often occupying more space than four bikes or two autos. Just that one guy eats up space where potentially 8 people could move about.

And trust me if cars too were banned here then we 2 wheelers would find this the most amazing place to drive in! They change lanes without indicating, have no sense of speed (either too slow or too fast) and with the AC on, have a huge carbon footprint.

It would not only do the bikes and others good but also the environment if single occupant cars were banned. If bikes and autos are mosquitoes, single occupant cars are like leeches: sucking on space where there's not enough available and environmentally harmful. You can be as ignorant as you wish as its a blissful place to be in. Being born and brought up here, i have seen how cars have contributed to a great extent in worsening the traffic. Like someone pointed out before, bikes keep moving and are never stuck. Its a few dumb drivers who manage to block an entire intersection.

The next time you're stuck in a bumper to bumper traffic, blame cars and cabs. Even if 2 and 3 wheelers were banned, you would still see huge jams and maybe even worse than before: all those 2 wheelers would have shifted to cars and with one car for each 2 wheeler, you can imagine the situation! Hence i don't see the logic in your statement.

I really wish car pooling kicks off but even if it did, a few great souls would stay away and prefer hogging up space.

Generalizing isn't always right and maybe even i am wrong as a few folks maybe forced to travel solo in a car. Similarly not everyone can afford cars and some like me prefer travelling on bikes for reasons of our own. There's no sense in generalizing entire 2 and 3 wheelers and wishing they were banned.

[nisshith]

Bengaluru needs a major overhaul in the infrastructure and public transport. Due to corruption it took ages to come up with the metro plan and actually implement the same. I have lived for 6 years in Bangalore and everytime there was one or another construction happening on ORR.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by karan561

I am kinda offended, i thought Mumbai traffic was the worst in the world

Attaching a pic for reference of the Western Express Highway just around pre-rush hour earlier this month;

Attachment 1963015

IMO Mumbai IS the WORST PLACE TO DRIVE till the METRO WORK is ON.

Hehe. I am tempted to ask, have you guys been to Delhi?

This was before the toll was removed. Now after removal, it would have just cascaded down. Still sharing for fun.



Source: an old news

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahom...d-40-days.html

[ampere]

When roads or more importantly arterial are designed/implemented, its imperative for town planning to understand how the development needs to be planned around these roads.

A basic computation of traffic density planned should have revealed how the load on this the infamous outer ring road in Bangalore would have resulted. I still remember the times, when it used to empty crying for commuters to use it.

I guess its lack of town planning which is killing the basics.

May be I am over simplifying the reasons and cause but for reason at large, its this basic lack which is the root cause.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by abhi7013

Your statements are both illogical and offensive at the same time.

Generalizing isn't always right and maybe even i am wrong as a few folks maybe forced to travel solo in a car. Similarly not everyone can afford cars and some like me prefer travelling on bikes for reasons of our own. There's no sense in generalizing entire 2 and 3 wheelers and wishing they were banned.

Illogical is a point of view, as is also being offended, you know fully well that one man's opinion cannot bring about that reality. I drove even today, i.e Sunday and lost track of the amount of traffic violations done by bikes, same rigmarole of jumping signals, sudden turns out of junctions, sudden lane changes, helmet less riding etc.

You are fully entitled to your views about cars, I read it and didn't feel the least bit offended, because I never do the things you felt car drivers do when driving. We've used autos all through my childhood and I've ridden bikes as well. Should cars be banned, we'll move on to the next mode of transport (survival has no choices).

I've focused on what existing rules (traffic) are being broken by autos (who have tremendous support/love from police as has been admitted by auto drivers themselves) and two wheelers, something I bear witness to every single day. They not only endanger their own lives but that of others as well, their arrogant motoring presence has actually struck fear in the hearts of law abiding motorists. I'm a proud Bangalorean as well, but let's all just drop the act, WE ALL KNOW what I'm saying is true, it's unmissable, the second we get onto traffic we can see the shenanigans and if majority cars did the same I'd have no problem mentioning them too.

If my posts can stimulate change in the motorists minds, and make them think how much harassment they cause others in their daily ride while putting their own safety at stake, that's all I want. Any other accusations or implications are merely imagination.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

If autos and 2 wheelers were banned here (and I'll be the happiest man on earth if that happens).....

I understand where this is coming from. A greater fraction of 2 & 3 wheeler drivers lack discipline. In no way am I advocating that car drivers are angels.

All things your life depends on is brought by people who deliver their goods/services using these machines. Whether you like it or not, 2 & 3 wheelers will always be on our roads.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Basically the CBD is a major pathway to the bus station and railway station, both almost situated in the same area leading to massive congestions. Horrible planning of the city to say the least.

When I used to visit Bangalore as a student back in the early 2000s, I actually loved how the Bus Stand and Railway station were close to each other. Easy enough to walk to, without having to pay through your nose for a rick.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by karan561

I am kinda offended, i thought Mumbai traffic was the worst in the world

I have experienced both. While the traffic density may end up being the same as Bangalore (Should be more actually), your drivers are a more disciplined lot.

Bombay also has the advantage of wider roads and a better public transport system (Read that as your local train network).

I can stay 60km out, in Bhayandar and catch a train into town which would take me less than 2 hours. In Bangalore, it takes the same amount of time to cover 14km by road! We have one ring road and that is it. That is our widest road. Most other roads are suitable for only single lane traffic in each direction. The plan for a suburban railway network has been Approved for Bangalore. I know the geography of where they intend to put this suburban railway network and it puzzles me no end how they are going to pull it off. Going by how long it took for them to get the first phase of the metro up and running, I'd put a guesstimate of another decade before the suburban railway network is in place. It will require a miracle to get it up and running sooner.

The road network is what cripples this once beautiful city. It has still has not got to the heads of the local Government on what they need to do to improve the situation. I don't think they care. Makes me sad.