Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[jayded]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

My response was to another poster. Why should be traffic cops be blamed for everything? When they enforce the rules, they are termed as "rowdy like" "money makers". When they do not, they are termed as not doing their duty.

Again you are generalizing a statement to suit your reply. No one said all traffic cops are rowdies. What he mentioned was the way this specific group of policemen were performing their duties by jumping right in front of oncoming traffic brandishing their lathis and beating the road with the same, trying to intimidate other road users.

I did not say hooliganism. Nor did I mention putting anyone at risk. If one were to break traffic rules in western countries, the driver, if he does not pull over and stay put in the car, risks getting shot by cops if he tries anything funny. Compared to that traffic enforcement / fines here is joke. I wish the Govt. passes the motor vehicle bill where the fines run into thousands.

Prohibitive fines will definitely improve the overall compliance to laws. But 3-4 cops jumping right in front of fast moving vehicles to handover a challan is just dangerous to say the least. if you feel that's not "menacing" enough, I've nothing much to say. I don't think I want to get into a debate about this anyway.

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

Drive safe and a Happy New Year.

I just hope the sarcasm is not lost on a lot of people who decide to have a field day with "official permission".

[hothatchaway]

Catching a flight from KIAL at 10:50 PM tonight. Generally I leave about 3 hours prior to departure time from Indiranagar. With the rush of holiday returnees and ORR white topping, should I leave any earlier?

Happy new year to all!

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Catching a flight from KIAL at 10:50 PM tonight. Generally I leave about 3 hours prior to departure time from Indiranagar. With the rush of holiday returnees and ORR white topping, should I leave any earlier?

Happy new year to all!

Suggest that you not take the chance and leave another hour earlier. Worst case you can chill at KIAL with a good book! Traffic will be difficult to predict today.

[yajaman99]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Catching a flight from KIAL at 10:50 PM tonight. Generally I leave about 3 hours prior to departure time from Indiranagar. With the rush of holiday returnees and ORR white topping, should I leave any earlier?

Happy new year to all!

Yes it would be best to leave early.
Also use Google Maps, gives a pretty good time duration and traffic update, you can check from 6pm onward.
However be ready for the Strict Security check at the Departure Entrance , i was there on 31st early morning to drop off a friend and the lines were long.
Extra careful check.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Catching a flight from KIAL at 10:50 PM tonight. Generally I leave about 3 hours prior to departure time from Indiranagar.

Leave early, do NOT take the outer ring road even if Google maps suggests it (happened to me couple days ago and I regret taking it), it will be stressful.
Just go via old madras.road, Nandidurga road, mekhri circle, Bellary road.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Catching a flight from KIAL at 10:50 PM tonight. Generally I leave about 3 hours prior to departure time from Indiranagar. With the rush of holiday returnees and ORR white topping, should I leave any earlier?

Happy new year to all!

Do also check whether the flight has not been cancelled/ delayed due to poor visibility at that time

[Jaguar]

I wanted to pen down this incident last night itself and would have gotten myself banned for using record number of parliamentary words, such was my anger.

Got a call just after 31st midnight that a friend had met with an accident about a KM from my home. My friend, his brother and another guy were traveling in an Etios Liva and had stopped for Police checking behind a taxi. A drunk moron in a Swift rear ended their car which in-turn hit a taxi in the front. Luckily, nobody was badly injured.

When I reached the spot, there were 5-6 cops and a group of people. One guy was acting like a smartian and talking to everyone, shaking hands with the cops etc. He comes to us and says, don't worry, insurance will cover everything, just take the car to the police station etc and the traffic inspector was also repeating the same, we will help etc. They were telling the same to the poor taxi guy as well.

I tried to figure out who was the driver and try to talk to him only to realize he is fully sloshed. He tells me, "I have license, go register a complaint, no settlement blah blah". Now, my smarty pants ******* comes along and says, "I am local president and this is my car, come to police station, take whatever insurance gives and go. Else we will kick you outsiders out of bangalore", IN FRONT OF THE COPS who shamelessly keep quiet. Meanwhile another cop tells my friend that if we register a drink and drive complaint, you will not get insurance and will have to wait for the case to go to court, so we will register an accident case and get you insurance. Mind you this accident happened at a Drink & Drive check. Decided it was not worth arguing and getting into a fight and ruin my new year.

Finally, all the three vehicles were towed to the nearest police station. There was no sign of anybody, including the cops who were present at the scene in the police station. The towing boys told something to the the couple of cops loitering there and he asked us to visit the station tomorrow after speaking to someone on phone. We had to pay Rs. 600 as towing charges as well. Don't know how much additional bribe would it take to get the car released? My friend is planning to take an advocate friend with him to the station tomorrow and see what happens.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

"I am local president and this is my car, come to police station, take whatever insurance gives and go. Else we will kick you outsiders out of bangalore", IN FRONT OF THE COPS who shamelessly keep quiet

Understand your feelings. But I think where ever people stay they should owe a moral responsibility towards the place which sadly may not be the case these days.

Meanwhile another cop tells my friend that if we register a drink and drive complaint, you will not get insurance and will have to wait for the case to go to court, so we will register an accident case and get you insurance.

This is interesting. Wanted to know how they would work on this case? Would they file it as a "hit & run" case? Or they give you an official report to be used for insurance claim ? Ideally the insurance company of the person in DUI should pay the damage costs for your vehicle as well. Because it was a vehicle insured by their insurance scheme, which has got into an accident with a 3rd party vehicle. But they would also not do it, because the insured vehicle was driven by a person in DUI. The court would then perhaps order this person to pay the damage costs.

Good that you are planning to get an advocate involved here. Have seen two similar cases, and having an advocate helped in both the cases. On any festival day, do not expect much police presence inside the police stations. Most likely only the sentry/wireless operator would be there. All the remaining folks would be there on the streets.

[smekad]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

My friend is planning to take an advocate friend with him to the station tomorrow and see what happens.

I think to prove that the other guy was drunk the police should have done a blood test at govt hospital when this happened. In absence of medical proof all your friend can now hope for is the third party claim settles dues. But it is a long drawn process.

Better to claim own insurance and bite the bullet, time and mental peace is more precious imo.

[Nalin1]

Had my first drive on a 'white topped' road from Manyata tech park towards old Madras road. Looks quite good, though claims of them lasting 25 to 30 years seem to be a bit far fetched .

But the stretch from RM nagar junction is still work in progress and to add to the irritation, a BMTC bus had broken down in the service lane reducing it half a lane .

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by smekad

I think to prove that the other guy was drunk the police should have done a blood test at govt hospital when this happened. In absence of medical proof all your friend can now hope for is the third party claim settles dues. But it is a long drawn process.

Better to claim own insurance and bite the bullet, time and mental peace is more precious imo.

Taking an advocate along to make sure we are not harassed by the cops. Since there is no physical injury, not pursuing the drink and drive case.

[ampere]

Mod Note: We do understand its a sensitive topic to discuss, but would request all to maintain poise while posting and not go overboard.

[NPV]

Crackdown on "half helmets":
Yesterday, there were few pictures being forwarded on WhatsApp, and today's newspaper carried this article. According to this article, the drive was launched in Bangalore and Mysore.

I think this is a very good move since these cap/hat-like helmets are useless and cannot protect a person's head in case of an accident, and obviously aren't ISI/BIS certified either.

Bengaluru:The city police on tuesday launched a crackdown on motorists wearing half helmets across the city. Checking drives were held in city and Mysuru, and the half helmets which do not conform to the BIS standards of safety, were taken away from the motorists.

Source:New Indian Express Bangalore, 3 Jan 2018 - Link

[ansumaan]

Some one from BTP commented in the radio that there is no such drive. However I feel they should give a notice and start the crack down after that.

[AltoLXI]

Planning and engineering skills at their best

A SIGNAL, AFTER A DECADE AND CRORES OF RUPEES, TO AVOID A SIGNAL

But why did the BBMP spend so much money on a project that was bound to fail? "The pre-cast elements of the Magic Box are intact. This means, it is a case of bad planning for which Bengaluru is well-known," said city-based analyst Devanand K. "If the authorities had taken the time to build a scientific structure, we could have reached the airport quickly every time. I think the Cauvery Junction underpass should be taught as a lesson to all wannabe engineers in colleges and also as an introductory lesson to all new recruits at BBMP and BDA so that they don't create another infrastructural blunder like this," he said.

Link