[Thilak29]

I left Bangalore just around the onset of Covid. I moved to a village after spending close to 15 years in the city. When I got married and my wife moved to Bangalore, she was worried about crossing the road, and I was puzzled to see why it is difficult when I manage with ease. I have been working remotely/hybrid since 2020 and now when I visit this city, I find it extremely difficult to cross the roads (around Hoodi/Mahadevapura/Graphite section) with 2W plying in all directions and 4Ws driven in hurry. Increasingly the city is becoming difficult to live in.

[justwheels]

While we all go through this chaos everyday and I am sure we all either have the urge or sometimes give-in to the urge to use some expletives to the fellow drivers, many of whom are the yellow boards and/or the delivery guys. But while there is nothing to take away from the fact that rules are flouted at mercy by these guys, our road infrastructure doesn't help either. It is here that I feel the public authorities have failed us since time immemorial.

It is easy to say we don't follow lane discipline but partly it is also due to our badly designed infrastructure. Signals, turns, cuts in medians, entry exit points are all designed haphazardly and based on current requirement only. To be able to be in the right lane to take the right turn is an art in itself.

Buses and trucks do not use the left lane because invariably there are badly parked vehicles on the left or random guy merging into the main road. Public buses don't stop at designated bus stops because the regular commuter is too lazy to stand at the bus stop and will invariably stand at the signal. Jay-walking is a birth right because authorities never planned for pedestrians crossing the road. Auto (3 wheeler) guys stop at random corners because no one thought of auto stands or where will he/she stand while there is nobody to ferry. Commercial infrastructure is proliferating without an iota of thought of parking infrastructure (Bangalore guys can check HSR layout situation). Public transport is not an easy alternative, it is easier said than done.

It is not to say that we are a country that unfortunately gives a penny to following rules, but the infrastructure doesn't help either.

My simple solution is, don't force people to follow rules, but de-incentivize breaking a rule that it becomes redundant to break a rule because the delta of benefit is miniscule. Breaking a few major red lights in Bangalore might make you reach home early by even 30 min (not legal but many prefer to have that 30 mins unfortunately). Reduce that incentive to 5 min, and I am sure a lot will adhere. For others, there should be strict law enforcement.

[GeeTee TSI]

Let us face it, everyone is in a hurry on their own schedules and priorities (the number of parents driving the wrong way with kids on their two wheelers!). All the more true for the timed delivery with zero tolerance for delays. Myriad of reasons aside, there is one thing which can be done from today - enforce the rules, make it pinch violators' wallets and time. It has to be top driven with an intent to be rid of violations in bottlenecks (extending to even residential streets)

The pinch will result in better planning or back to back terms with the customer on traffic delays. The delivery performance has to be tied to traffic rule compliance and never either or.

[DasAuto1985]

None of these zepto, dunzo, zomato guys go near highways and still the state of highways aren't any better. Today morning I drove from Bangalore-Chennai and there was this "gentleman" in his City driving perfectly in 2 lanes, so perfectly that I was amazed with his ability to align the center line of his car with the lane markers without using any calibration instruments. A helmetless "biker dude" was zipping across lanes so nonchalantly that i decided to slow down and get some considerable distance between him and me.

[anjan_c2007]

The moot point is most of us use these App based cabs, food delivery chains with their Apps and so on regularly. While rating we often give 5 stars to the person from the food delivery chain for FAST/PROMPT DELIVERY for services rendered. Even the App based cabs get four to five stars from us for promptly reaching us to our destinations.

But we have no any superintendence or control on the respective driver/rider whatsoever if he engages in road antics, detrimental to other traffic users. The stars awarded are simply laser-focused for their services to us. Hence our culpability in such cases are ZERO. We as customers either stand acquitted or proved not guilty in these street games.

[Senotrius]

Well, in my city atleast, I feel Cab aggregators (Ola/Uber) are the slowest , least rash among the others described in the OP. They have never gone above any speed limit. They do this primarily to save fuel I feel, even with cng. We have high fuel rates in Kerala. The Autorickshaws, buses/trucks however are the polar opposite. Be it commercial or passenger variety, they are rash in general. Primarily due to political/union backing.

Even Zomato (generally never on time compared to swiggy in my place) and Swiggy riders try to save fuel and ride sanely. I'm going against the tide here.

[Carpainter]

This is a very valid point and really the need of the hour. In Kolkata I think the most rash drivers are still the dominos delivery guys. The way they ride is like an accident is waiting to happen. I don't think they get commission based on how many deliveries they make each day like swiggy or zomato guys but don't know why they ride like that. In case of swiggy, blinkit etc. I think they ride their own bikes so they somewhat care for their own damage but those who drive third party vehicles are the most dangerous ones.

I think it's high time that central or state govt. and police authorities should take steps and issue orders for these new age startups or multinationals that if an accident occur by their servicemen because of their business policies, these companies will be held directly responsible and should pay for damage. This is probably the only way to stop this menace.

[Auto Enthusiast]

Thanks, GTO, finally someone posted what we have been observing for a while driving around in residential areas. In NCR the 2-wheeler delivery guys breaking traffic rules, jumping red lights, and riding on the wrong side of the road have become a common occurrence that you don't even get offended anymore.
Whenever I see this happening, I wonder what Deepinder Goyal sitting inside his Aston Martin thinks of his delivery team when he watches them jumping red lights.

[nikhilck]

Originally Posted by fordday

Very timely thread. The situation in Bangalore is far worse than described above for Mumbai. The density of vehicles compared to the road size here is astoundingly high.

I have been driving and riding here for last 25 years but of late it seems I lost my driving skills. These set of drivers who do not care a hoot about causing accidents to themselves and others are so much more in numbers that they rule the road.

It’s the bad economy, overpopulation and lack of big cities. Wages on the low end have been frozen for about a decade. There is an increase in the number of people who have nothing to lose and don’t care. They just want their days wages for alcohol. This isn’t a good sign of things to come.

[megazoid]

The commercial vehicles are seen parked at every available space inside the city, be it side roads, under the shade of trees, roads toward the airport, near stations and bus terminals and a vast majority of these places are in congested parts of town implying a lack of parking space. This creates an orderliness issue as well as a littering issue. Most of these places dont have adequate waste disposal options and hence the parked cars are usually seen littering the place with paper, plastic bottles and such. Perhaps parking spaces for these services need to be laid out and they have to be mandated to use these areas only. The general vehicular discipline is either ways very poor and while they are of great help, these serivces unfortunately compound problems too.

[invidious]

John Oliver just did a segment on such drivers in the US
As in India, none of those guys have figured out how to make money.

https://youtu.be/aFsfJYWpqII?si=KVgJF-wka00CNZMN

And they squeeze the little guy the most. Not that the delivery guys are saints. The entire ecosystem of these apps seems to be on a wing and prayer.

[woodstock3001]

Delivery apps have undoubtedly simplified our lives, however, it's crucial to acknowledge the impact they have on urban traffic.

Other than the noticeable surge in vehicles (2, 3, and even 4 wheels) on roads, it's a familiar scene to witness delivery riders swiftly maneuvering through roads on electric scooters.

These dedicated workers are always in motion, striving to meet strict deadlines and customer demands. They often take risks to ensure orders are delivered promptly.

I've observed delivery personnel halting in the middle of the road to check their directions, leading to traffic congestion. Riding against traffic, speeding, and disregarding traffic signals have regrettably become a daily sight.

It's essential to exercise caution around them and provide them with enough space to pass securely. Accidents can occur unexpectedly, even if you're not at fault.

[Vikram9193]

I have switched to using my motorcycle and electric cycle and it is a great relief. I have learned to watch the yellow plates very carefully, especially on the cycle. Apparently China has seen a sea change in people’s public behaviour in the last few years, and some of that has to do with surveillance and social credit scores. Maybe something similar might work here. Personally hate the idea for privacy reasons, but it’s interesting.

[vamsi.vadrevu]

We need very strict laws. Our judiciary is a joke and our law and order is non existent. As someone mentioned, this large scale rule breaking behaviour across all strata of population can only be curbed with extremely harsh punitive actions. People don't even care about challans now-a-days. They just don't pay them. What instead needs to be done is, large scale seizure and scrapping of vehicles that have more and 3 offenses. Every month, the law enforcement needs to go on a drive seizing vehicles and literally destroying them. That will teach the rule breakers a lesson. No vehicle, no rule breaking.

This might sound harsh, but 2 or 3 generations of road users have literally no regard for rules. These folk need to be taken out of our roads ASAP.

Simultaneously, massive drives need to be conducted to sensitise and educate people on the virtue called "patience".

And this drive needs to include jaywalkers too. File criminal cases for endangering road users. This will create the "fear" of law in the population.

Saam daam dand bhed are required to tackle this epidemic of rule breakers.

[Fuldagap]

For 4 wheelers, aren't Ola/Uber cars restricted by speed governors? As far as I kmow they are, unless some guy is breaking the rule somehow.

But I think instead of speed governors, taxis should come with a trained, experienced and rule abiding driver. Wishful thinking!

Instead of punitive actions through implementation of law, there should be some tangible benefits associated to a continuous performance of a good driver and his car. Something like a 'continuous streak'.

Administrators generally are trained for punishing and finding faults. Again wishful thinking!