[IamNikhil]

A few years back, the only riders who would do zip-zap-zoom through heavy traffic would be the guys on Dominos Pizza delivery duty. With the advent of the new-age Blinkit, Zepto, Dunzo, Swiggy Instamart, that rider base has expanded exponentially! Almost all of them ride with impunity, with scant regard for anybody else on the road, flouting innumerable traffic rules/regulations. I have observed many of them being so obviously underage that it's a surprise how the cops can turn a blind eye.

In case of Mumbai, wrong-side driving/riding was not so common till very recently; that was reserved for the likes of Pune. However, these morons have now started riding unabashedly on the wrong-side, speeding through one-way roads, with total disregard for pedestrians or vehicles. Also, they have the gall to abuse those who are actually riding/driving/walking while following the rules.

P.s. Worli Naka has become an absolute nightmare these days; bikes, cars, pedestrians criss-crossing without a care for signals or cops. One can spot traffic cops standing in a cornere and enjoying the madness, instead of enforcing any order. This is the case especially in the evenings!

[raptor_diwan]

It's not about speed; it's about the 'don't care' attitude. Cab drivers and even government bus drivers don't care if there are scratches or damage on their vehicles. Their ego often takes precedence over self-preservation, leading them to adopt an offensive driving style, whereas most of us drive defensively.

[BrakHorseBarhat]

Originally Posted by GTO

- The steep rise of consumer-focused commercial vehicles (Uber, Ola, delivery riders of Swiggy / Blinkit, small delivery pickup trucks etc. etc.) have been significant contributors to a decline in overall road sense & manners.

Completely agree! Private ownership comes with a sense of responsibility towards the vehicle which serves as a deterrent against rash driving to some extent. (Not that Delhi traffic cares either way)

This was always very apparent in the way in which bus drivers often drive as if they were in a tank. Similarly, autorickshaws also tend to be rather aggressive in traffic since they drive with the two-wheeler mentality despite being significantly bigger.

Now the increase in commercial vehicles is only amplifying this complete disregard for traffic rules.

A new trend that I have noticed and find rather irritating is the aggressive driving by EV taxi drivers. Since EVs have higher initial acceleration from a standstill and are automatic, the EV drivers seem to be even more aggressive than regular taxi drivers. (This is perhaps because automatic transmission takes away the skill requirement from being an aggressive driver)

And I foresee a lot more safety concerns on Indian roads as more and more cars go automatic since more people will have the option of aggressive acceleration at their fingertips with minimal effort. This might prove to be a big hazard for two-wheelers that cut into lanes willy-nilly without considering that the car they are overtaking might accelerate.

[silverado]

Let me add few more points which will add a new dimension to this discussion. INFRA works! People are getting restless due to this and it reflects in their driving.

I can only speak of Mumbai and Pune, both cities especially mumbai seems to have never ending infra works, This has affected quality of life for its residents.

The real problem is acknowleding this issue ( too many commercial vehicles ) by authorities. Road Safety or Safety in general is not a serious topic in our country since its not something which is inculcated in us from childhood.

Time has come for BIRTH control like measures for automobiles in our congested cities.

[svsantosh]

To sum up the thread...

I would say the very idea of MVA (India) or similar Road/Safety Laws around other Nations is fundamentally challenged (via conflict of Interest) by the fundamentals of 30-mins-else-free run of the mill companies.

How would one expect a TAT (turn around time) driven service to adhere to discipline and safety?

And before people say it is an Indian road issue, I politely beg to differ. Even in Dubai/Sharjah, where I currently reside & commute, the boon of 15 min Noon/Amazon/Talabat/similar services, is overcome by the bane of their road discipline. Though here the laws and fines are much stricter, few bikers either are truant or ignorant when they are outside the camera zone.

I travel around a few other developed countries, same issue of TAT driven services on public roads competing against regular road users persists.

[Toni]

This is one of the top thread.

There is no solution to rein in these type of riders and drivers and one day will come when we will have Mahabharat on roads unless the government and authorities decide to have different lanes for two/three wheeler, four wheeler and buses as in many other countries. It is a very difficult task given our road size, loose traffic management, etc. but in order to ensure traffic discipline we must have at least separate lanes for two/three wheeler and buses where ever possible.

Also, heavy fines, punishments, suspension/cancellation of licence and so on has to be enforced very strictly else we can never be a developed country.

[RGK]

A Rapido guy who came to pick me up from the office was not wearing any footwear.

Most of the two wheelers used by these service guys do not have rearview mirrors. How can one expect disciplined driving?.

A year back, a guy came and banged my rear number plate in a congested road near Pallavaram. He immediately apologized, "Sir, I am going for my first delivery today and need to have my breakfast after getting some tip." I gave him 100 bucks and advised him to have food, go slow, and follow traffic rules. This is the condition of the guys working in these kinds of roles.

Somehow or other, they are keen to complete many trips and earn more. Going in the opposite direction, crisscross driving, cutting lanes, etc., are part of their daily routine. This is apart from fiddling with their mobile phones during the ride.

Share autos in Chennai do not lag far behind those guys. Literally, they have all the right to stop anywhere and pick/drop pax.

Originally Posted by Toni

Also, heavy fines, punishments, suspension/cancellation of licence and so on has to be enforced very strictly else we can never be a developed country.

Long way to go Toni....

[R-Drive]

In my experience, the problematic drivers on the roads can be broadly classified as follows :

1. Nuisance value – no lane discipline, driving below the average speed limit of the vehicles on that road, hogging of fast lane.

2. Stress inducing – all of the above + inconsiderate lane cutting / zig-zagging, rushing to fill gaps in between vehicles, excessive honking.

3. Liable to cause accidents - all of the above +rash driving above speed limits, driving the wrong way against traffic, breaking signals and traffic rules

It is actually quite simple to avoid doing any of the above – follow the traffic rules, be mindful and considerate of your fellow drivers, plan your trip time prudently and most importantly do not let your ego control you.

[aadya]

Thanks OP for this thread. It has been nagging my mind for the past few weeks atleast to file a PIL to ban these delivery apps(I am a user myself). I would be okay with having to pick up something from nearby store or get a delivery one days late. But I cannot think of one of these guy dying on the road, while on the way to deliver me something. I am thinking of making a dashcam video of these violations and send it to Chief judge of HC and request to take suo moto case to ban them.

[Toni]

Originally Posted by RGK

Long way to go Toni....

Agree 100%, long long way to go

[Sedated]

I feel quick commerce bikes and bicycles are quite alright. If you book an Uber or Ola or any other taxi you’ll see multiple scratches and dents on the car and the drivers indifference to it is an issue. Their low income leading to them driving all day sometimes double shift by another family member to make a livable income by running the car 24hours is a factor for this result.

Road manners among private owners is also quite poor. As someone from Kolkata I would never drive in Delhi and it’s not like Kolkata has good road manners. But whenever I go to Delhi all I see is chaos on the road. Like a war raging to get going quick. Breaking signal, overspeeding, drunk driving it’s all there in a package over there and mostly done by private owners at that. A big reason for that is how settlement is done. Cars and bikes just rack up challans without caring in tens of thousands and then get it settled at the department for way less that too officially no bribery required, just plead you can’t pay. A constant occurrence that renders the challans almost useless to correct road behavior.

[NomadSK]

Just a different take on this,

If we as a customer want Pizza to be delivered within 5 minutes, the safety/road discipline will go for a toss.

If we want everything cheap, safety/road discipline will go for a toss.

If we want to reach station/airport any destination quickly, safety/road discipline will go for a toss.

And the list goes on, drunk bus drivers, easy license procurement, fitness certificate, complete disregard to safety/road discipline.

I would say the responsibility starts with the administration (Government/Agencies/Cops) first and ends at the road user, we need to evolve. Whenever I drive in India, it feels like fight for survival. Almost everyone is ready to pick up the fight, stomp on your head and hurt you, for what? Your car scratched his car! I feel sometimes so emotionally attached to our cars makes us distant from empathy.

Too many, too little or for that matter too much in a hurry are just the excuses we fed in our brains to bypass the system, which is not strictly enforced.

Have driven in myriad of countries with density of vehicles as much as in Indian cities, such disregard to road discipline haven't seen anywhere else.

The day law is strictly enforced to the T, things will start to fall in line.

[NaXal]

Hello,

Pardon me but when there are no consequences for your law breaking actions, then law abiding cities are actual losers.

They are doing it before they are allowed to do it.

Traffic Law Enforcement -> Practically Zero
Penalty for accident -> Settlement and insurance claim from your own pocket
3rd party insurance claim -> What's that?

It is amusing to see, that in a country where unemployment is sky high, every single business / office and in this case law enforcement are always short in manpower.

Traffic fines are high enough to pay for the needed extra manpower but still, cops are always overworked and they don't have time for this "petty" issue that is raised here.

Thanks.

[condor]

I would say, Road Discipline has already gone for a toss, even without these new vehicles. Ask anyone who has driven in the older days when we had un-divided highways, yes - highways that did not have even a divider. The coordination between on-coming vehicles was so good. No road rage, no show-offs, no bullying. That was driving. Today, with more power, more facilities, even driving skill has gone for a toss and not just road discipline.

[youknowitbetter]

Until few years back, I had seen people driving on the wrong side in smaller towns, but never in Delhi or Mumbai. These days, it has become a norm and it is just not limited to cyclists, battery operated mopeds/YULUs, but stretches to bikes and cars.

Another point that should be tried to enforce is lane discipline. Its completely vanished from Mumbai. Don't understand what's up with scores of impatience or rush which prompts people to make a two lane road a 3 and a half.