It took just 2.5 hrs to reach my office today!

jaganm · 13th February 2009, 14:10

I find it amusing to hear car drivers cribbing about the traffic jam, of which they are one of the main cause. In every conversation, all I hear is that government should widen roads, do this, those idiotic cab guys should learn to drive and so on. It's always someone else who is at fault, it's never us.

Let's face it, things are only going to get worse because our resources are limited and the competition for those scarce resources is increasing by the day. If we want things to improve, we, i.e. each individual has to do our bit.

The main thing is that we have to get out of our car addiction. That it is the least optimal form of urban transport has been proven time and time again. Unfortunately, it is also the most comfortable way, so there will be a reluctance to move away from cars. As a start, each car driver can decide that once a week they will leave their cars at home. Once you get comfortable, make it twice a week and then maybe thrice. If enough people actually adopt this, there will be a material difference.

One may well say, my car is so comfortable and the other forms are inconvenient. Sure, that is the case, but once you consider the greater good, a small bit of trouble is not that bad.

Some of the ways in which people can avoid driving are
- Our companies have bus services to every corner of the city. BMTC had introduced a host of innovative services, try them and you will be surprised at how good they are
- Use carpooling, there are many people who live in apartment complexes who all travel to the same office, who can easily carpool
- Use two wheelers (motorcycle/bicycle), they are a lot more efficient in terms of road usage. And contrary to what car drivers think, they are not THAT unsafe
- Walk, if your office is less than a kilometer or two, why not walk?

Hope a few people take some steps to reduce the load, or else we are in for more pain ahead.

supremeBaleno · 13th February 2009, 14:32

Nice points, jaganm. And I have tried most of what you suggested except walking - can't walk 20kms one-way each day, right ?

Tried office transport (a/c Tempo Traveller with DVD) for a few days. What made me opt out was even though I have to leave early I still reach late. Van picks me up at 7:45 and reaches office by 9:15AM ie 1.5 hours. If instead I go by bike or car at 7:45AM, I would be at work in 35-40mins. Same issue while returning home - takes around 2 hours.

Did car-pooling for some 3-4 years with a colleague. Was pretty good - saved petrol, 1 less car on roads, 1 day of no driving stress etc. But since we both started working on projects with different time-zones (US vs Japan), it would not work. So stopped that.

Atleast once or twice a week, I use bike to commute, even though 40kms in city traffic is a strain. And yes, bikes are unsafe.

aka_iitd · 13th February 2009, 14:42

Bikes have become unsafe due to heavy traffic and careless driving by other 4 wheelers. But if the office is nearby we can try using bike once or twice in a week to save petrol, contribute to environment and road traffic

Spitfire · 13th February 2009, 15:16

I walk 7 kms to office and back, 4 days out of 5.

Only grouse is the stupid 2 wheelers riding on footpath and the the fact that Bangalore is getting hotter.

zenx · 13th February 2009, 15:17

Cycle, guys! I've had almost no "close ones" - those were common on the motorbike and even in the car. The leftmost lanes are usually free, and with helmets, lights people give you your space

15-20kms is doable, and you don't need to hit the gym anymore - so time/money saved. And when the traffic gets clogged like yesterday, you're king

In any case, through city transport, its the quickest way to get around. A good quality bike and decent gearshifting means zero sweat in Bangalore. And feel much more energetic and fitter after 7 months of cycling than I've felt before in the last 10 years!

BTW, walking 7kms to office is totally wow - hats off!

jaganm · 13th February 2009, 16:14

@supremeBaleno, I agree that the alternatives require us to compromise on time or comfort, but that's precisely the issue, we are not prepared to compromise on our comfort. It may be fine for an individual to think like that, but when an entire population has the same approach, well, you can see the results for yourself on our roads.

How about starting a movement with the members of team-bhp? Commit to leaving your car at home atleast once a week. Try it out for a few weeks and share your experiences (positive/negative) with others.

supremeBaleno · 13th February 2009, 16:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spitfire

I walk 7 kms to office and back, 4 days out of 5.

Is it 7kms one-way or both-ways ? Either way, it is commendable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenx

Cycle, guys! A good quality bike and decent gearshifting means zero sweat in Bangalore.

Tbhp-ian madan89 used to occasionally cycle to work. Once he even came to a tbhp-meet on his cycle - though he hitched a ride back in a Gypsy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaganm

How about starting a movement with the members of team-bhp? Commit to leaving your car at home atleast once a week.

Hey, I am anyway doing that - see my previous post. And anyway I don't think a movement and stuff works. If one wants to do something, just do it. Trying to convince others and waiting for them to join and stuff is IMO much tougher than doing it yourself.

BTW, you did not mention what you do towards this end ?

hrag · 13th February 2009, 16:22

Work from home if permitted and feasible. I do it at least once a week.

pypkmsrikanth · 13th February 2009, 16:31

As my bit, I drop both my kids at their respective schools then drop my SIL halfway through my way to office. And more often than not I do all this in either my Dio or Pep+ as well. The last 2 weeks 2wheeler rides have meant am undergoing a weeks physiotherapy to clear my lower back pain.

nemo · 13th February 2009, 23:36

i carpool 4 days a week - Monday to Thursday and cycle on Fridays. The distance in 11 kms (one way) and it takes 40 Mins to cycle - 10 mins more than it takes in the car. I'm doing my bit.

lohithrao · 14th February 2009, 09:09

Fantastic efforts by people who are Walking, Cycling, Car pooling to commute to thier offices. Great going guys we need more people like you all..

I use my bike everyday and till date havent taken my car to my office, i really find it unnecessary to take it for all the logical reasons.

Every day i find so many cars with the single person in it, its really a big waste of space and fuel according to me...

Btw i saw many cabs picking up people, basically most of them would be heading towards electronic city to pick people but since theu are empty the drivers give people lift till the silk board ot ec and make some money. a sumo can easily accomodate easily abot 6-7 people and in a way these guys are helping to decongest the road.

Once i took a ride from basavanagar to silkboard and i had to pay 15 bucks for it and i did save quiet a lot as the auto would have costed lot more...
Atleast this way the cab guys are helpful to all

finneyp · 14th February 2009, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by lohithrao

Btw i saw many cabs picking up people, basically most of them would be heading towards electronic city to pick people but since theu are empty the drivers give people lift till the silk board ot ec and make some money. a sumo can easily accomodate easily abot 6-7 people and in a way these guys are helping to decongest the road.

Once i took a ride from basavanagar to silkboard and i had to pay 15 bucks for it and i did save quiet a lot as the auto would have costed lot more...
Atleast this way the cab guys are helpful to all

Be careful with the Cab guys esp in the nights!

Lot of mugging incidents by cabbies are reported in the paper every now & then.

lohithrao · 14th February 2009, 11:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by finneyp

Be careful with the Cab guys esp in the nights!

Lot of mugging incidents by cabbies are reported in the paper every now & then.

I agree, infact i took the cab only in the morning once and for sure will not take 1 at night

deepclutch · 14th February 2009, 12:21

excellent suggestions @jaganm.but 90% of car owners won't care for your good suggestion.these IT proffessionals,business magnets are always backseat travellers.
--
India is a big country.why not shift(if possible) to another city instead of bangalore?there is hyderabad,madras,pune,trivendrum etc also na?bangalore ,actually was a hill station like city.it's resources cannot be that good to cater all the new immigrants.My suggestion will be - if ever possible choose a nearer city wherever you are from.that saves!with that ,I dont want to offend anyone.
and what @jaganm suggested - it is a rule in some cities(rome?) where only once in a week can people allowed to take their car's to city.else ,cycling,motor cycles ,buses are the norm.

supremeBaleno · 14th February 2009, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepclutch

but 90% of car owners won't care for your good suggestion.these IT proffessionals,business magnets are always backseat travellers.

Hmm. Don't know about business 'magnates' - I am not one, but am an IT professional and the only time I am in the backseat is when I am onsite. I have no qualms admitting that I am afraid of driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. But while in India, I drive. Always.

Please do not generalise. I am sure that some of the guys posting here about how we can reduce car-usage, are IT professionals. No one is born an IT guy. Irrespective of what our profession is, we can strive to leave a better world for our kids. Atleast that is what I believe in.

I don't know what your profession is. But whatever it is, if you do anything for reducing hydrocarbon usage, let us know. That is much better than trivialising what others are doing.

13th February 2009, 14:10	#61
jaganm BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 372 Thanked: 426 Times	I find it amusing to hear car drivers cribbing about the traffic jam, of which they are one of the main cause. In every conversation, all I hear is that government should widen roads, do this, those idiotic cab guys should learn to drive and so on. It's always someone else who is at fault, it's never us. Let's face it, things are only going to get worse because our resources are limited and the competition for those scarce resources is increasing by the day. If we want things to improve, we, i.e. each individual has to do our bit. The main thing is that we have to get out of our car addiction. That it is the least optimal form of urban transport has been proven time and time again. Unfortunately, it is also the most comfortable way, so there will be a reluctance to move away from cars. As a start, each car driver can decide that once a week they will leave their cars at home. Once you get comfortable, make it twice a week and then maybe thrice. If enough people actually adopt this, there will be a material difference. One may well say, my car is so comfortable and the other forms are inconvenient. Sure, that is the case, but once you consider the greater good, a small bit of trouble is not that bad. Some of the ways in which people can avoid driving are - Our companies have bus services to every corner of the city. BMTC had introduced a host of innovative services, try them and you will be surprised at how good they are - Use carpooling, there are many people who live in apartment complexes who all travel to the same office, who can easily carpool - Use two wheelers (motorcycle/bicycle), they are a lot more efficient in terms of road usage. And contrary to what car drivers think, they are not THAT unsafe - Walk, if your office is less than a kilometer or two, why not walk? Hope a few people take some steps to reduce the load, or else we are in for more pain ahead.
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 14:32	#62
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,546 Thanked: 2,698 Times View My Garage	Nice points, jaganm. And I have tried most of what you suggested except walking - can't walk 20kms one-way each day, right ? Tried office transport (a/c Tempo Traveller with DVD) for a few days. What made me opt out was even though I have to leave early I still reach late. Van picks me up at 7:45 and reaches office by 9:15AM ie 1.5 hours. If instead I go by bike or car at 7:45AM, I would be at work in 35-40mins. Same issue while returning home - takes around 2 hours. Did car-pooling for some 3-4 years with a colleague. Was pretty good - saved petrol, 1 less car on roads, 1 day of no driving stress etc. But since we both started working on projects with different time-zones (US vs Japan), it would not work. So stopped that. Atleast once or twice a week, I use bike to commute, even though 40kms in city traffic is a strain. And yes, bikes are unsafe.
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 14:42	#63
aka_iitd BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 630 Thanked: 45 Times	Bikes have become unsafe due to heavy traffic and careless driving by other 4 wheelers. But if the office is nearby we can try using bike once or twice in a week to save petrol, contribute to environment and road traffic
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 15:16	#64
Spitfire BANNED Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka Posts: 3,312 Thanked: 774 Times	I walk 7 kms to office and back, 4 days out of 5. Only grouse is the stupid 2 wheelers riding on footpath and the the fact that Bangalore is getting hotter.
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 15:17	#65
zenx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,161 Thanked: 158 Times View My Garage	Cycle, guys! I've had almost no "close ones" - those were common on the motorbike and even in the car. The leftmost lanes are usually free, and with helmets, lights people give you your space 15-20kms is doable, and you don't need to hit the gym anymore - so time/money saved. And when the traffic gets clogged like yesterday, you're king In any case, through city transport, its the quickest way to get around. A good quality bike and decent gearshifting means zero sweat in Bangalore. And feel much more energetic and fitter after 7 months of cycling than I've felt before in the last 10 years! BTW, walking 7kms to office is totally wow - hats off!
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 16:14	#66
jaganm BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 372 Thanked: 426 Times	@supremeBaleno, I agree that the alternatives require us to compromise on time or comfort, but that's precisely the issue, we are not prepared to compromise on our comfort. It may be fine for an individual to think like that, but when an entire population has the same approach, well, you can see the results for yourself on our roads. How about starting a movement with the members of team-bhp? Commit to leaving your car at home atleast once a week. Try it out for a few weeks and share your experiences (positive/negative) with others.
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 16:22	#68
hrag BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore / Madras Posts: 1,982 Thanked: 31 Times	Work from home if permitted and feasible. I do it at least once a week.
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 16:31	#69
pypkmsrikanth Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 283 Times View My Garage	As my bit, I drop both my kids at their respective schools then drop my SIL halfway through my way to office. And more often than not I do all this in either my Dio or Pep+ as well. The last 2 weeks 2wheeler rides have meant am undergoing a weeks physiotherapy to clear my lower back pain.
	() Thanks

13th February 2009, 23:36	#70
nemo BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 180 Thanked: 9 Times	i carpool 4 days a week - Monday to Thursday and cycle on Fridays. The distance in 11 kms (one way) and it takes 40 Mins to cycle - 10 mins more than it takes in the car. I'm doing my bit.
	() Thanks

14th February 2009, 09:09	#71
lohithrao Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kudla/Mangaluru Posts: 3,204 Thanked: 225 Times View My Garage	Fantastic efforts by people who are Walking, Cycling, Car pooling to commute to thier offices. Great going guys we need more people like you all.. I use my bike everyday and till date havent taken my car to my office, i really find it unnecessary to take it for all the logical reasons. Every day i find so many cars with the single person in it, its really a big waste of space and fuel according to me... Btw i saw many cabs picking up people, basically most of them would be heading towards electronic city to pick people but since theu are empty the drivers give people lift till the silk board ot ec and make some money. a sumo can easily accomodate easily abot 6-7 people and in a way these guys are helping to decongest the road. Once i took a ride from basavanagar to silkboard and i had to pay 15 bucks for it and i did save quiet a lot as the auto would have costed lot more... Atleast this way the cab guys are helpful to all
	() Thanks

14th February 2009, 12:21	#74
deepclutch Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Muvattupuzha Posts: 1,165 Thanked: 162 Times	excellent suggestions @jaganm.but 90% of car owners won't care for your good suggestion.these IT proffessionals,business magnets are always backseat travellers. -- India is a big country.why not shift(if possible) to another city instead of bangalore?there is hyderabad,madras,pune,trivendrum etc also na?bangalore ,actually was a hill station like city.it's resources cannot be that good to cater all the new immigrants.My suggestion will be - if ever possible choose a nearer city wherever you are from.that saves!with that ,I dont want to offend anyone. and what @jaganm suggested - it is a rule in some cities(rome?) where only once in a week can people allowed to take their car's to city.else ,cycling,motor cycles ,buses are the norm.
	() Thanks