Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

[Shubz]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Thats sign board is as good as its not there. Not just 2 wheelers, even 4 wheelers (cars, tempos) take U-turn there. For some reason even cops seem to not enforce the U-turn rule there.

Call it traffic (mis)management - Instead of enforcing the "No U turn" rule - exerting themselves that much more - stop one of them and then the traffic builds up behind them - They feel its better not to swim against the tide!

I have seen highly enlightened motorists wait to take a right turn at Sony world junction @ Koramangala despite a clear No right turn board. Some genuinely miss reading the board though and are apologetic when they are made aware of it, while many just click their tongues as in "who cares".

[MuraliR]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

that was this morning around 10am. the cops are there in the evenings (i think) but are too tired to catch these morons who occupy the wrong side like rats in a tunnel

I have seen cops there in the evenings, and have also noticed on one occasion that the inspector got down from his bike, walked down that side and made a few two-wheelers and auto rickshaws turn back. They were fuming at him :-)

[VarunM]

Does anyone have any idea on why the sudden long build up of traffic on the ORR at Kadubisanahalli junction (towards Marathahalli) in the past few days, especially in the evening around 5.30 to 8.00PM?? The reason for asking is lately they have closed the lunar cratered service road and the traffic is on the main road itself which is relatively better.

The work at this junction still looks like it will take a 8-12 months atleast to be completed

[reswaran]

I got t-boned on my way to office yesterday. I was on my bicycle, heading towards Wipro on Sarjapur road from Carmelaram. Near the Doddakanehanni cross, guy on a TVS Super XL suddenly comes out zooming and t-bones me. Both of us fall, leg gets stuck in between the two vehicles, with the wheel of the TVS still running. Horrid huge gash on my right leg. I guess I wont be biking for a few weeks atleast, let alone walking without a limp.

I just don't get it. Why this apathy towards smaller vehicles? And I guess on a bicycle, just a helmet and gloves ain't enough in Bangalore. I need a kevlar full body suit. With crumple zones.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by reswaran

I got t-boned on my way to office yesterday. I was on my bicycle, heading towards Wipro on Sarjapur road from Carmelaram. Near the Doddakanehanni cross, guy on a TVS Super XL suddenly comes out zooming and t-bones me. Both of us fall, leg gets stuck in between the two vehicles, with the wheel of the TVS still running. Horrid huge gash on my right leg. I guess I wont be biking for a few weeks atleast, let alone walking without a limp.

I just don't get it. Why this apathy towards smaller vehicles? And I guess on a bicycle, just a helmet and gloves ain't enough in Bangalore. I need a kevlar full body suit. With crumple zones.

oh boy! that doesn't sound too good. good that you didn't break anything (except the paintwork). wish you a speedy recovery

[akshay_b]

Originally Posted by reswaran

I just don't get it. Why this apathy towards smaller vehicles? And I guess on a bicycle, just a helmet and gloves ain't enough in Bangalore. I need a kevlar full body suit. With crumple zones.

I'm sorry to hear that buddy, but that is how it is in India, I've seen people being inhumane to cyclists, honking at them, overtaking them closely and what not. Its better to ride a bicycle in an open ground if you really want to. A car is a lot better than 2 wheelers especially here in India, but in developed countries, its a different story, See this:

Driving in India: Give Cyclists the Respect of a car - YouTube

!

[Shubz]

One good deed that the cops are up to these days -- On ORR - after getting down the exit ramp from the Hebbal flyover on to the ORR - the cops are directing all truck traffic on to the service lane and holding them there till traffic eases! That much load off the congestion!

[lohithrao]

thats bad!

Its survival of the BIGGEST on roads these days, root of the issue is too many vehicles.... i feel one should be real brave to ride(cycle) in Bangalore.

Originally Posted by reswaran

I got t-boned on my way to office yesterday. I was on my bicycle, heading towards Wipro on Sarjapur road from Carmelaram. Near the Doddakanehanni cross, guy on a TVS Super XL suddenly comes out zooming and t-bones me. Both of us fall, leg gets stuck in between the two vehicles, with the wheel of the TVS still running. Horrid huge gash on my right leg. I guess I wont be biking for a few weeks atleast, let alone walking without a limp.

I just don't get it. Why this apathy towards smaller vehicles? And I guess on a bicycle, just a helmet and gloves ain't enough in Bangalore. I need a kevlar full body suit. With crumple zones.

[reswaran]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

oh boy! that doesn't sound too good. good that you didn't break anything (except the paintwork). wish you a speedy recovery

Thanks for the wishes!

Originally Posted by akshay_b

I'm sorry to hear that buddy, but that is how it is in India, I've seen people being inhumane to cyclists, honking at them, overtaking them closely and what not. Its better to ride a bicycle in an open ground if you really want to. A car is a lot better than 2 wheelers especially here in India, but in developed countries, its a different story, See this:

Totally agree. For many, time is a premium and they go to no end to save time on the road. Others get hurt in the process.

Originally Posted by lohithrao

thats bad!

Its survival of the BIGGEST on roads these days, root of the issue is too many vehicles.... i feel one should be real brave to ride(cycle) in Bangalore.

Or in my case, really stupid. My route is mostly narrow two lane roads except Sarjapur road. I should know better.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by reswaran

I got t-boned on my way to office yesterday. I was on my bicycle, heading towards Wipro on Sarjapur road from Carmelaram. Near the Doddakanehanni cross, guy on a TVS Super XL suddenly comes out zooming and t-bones me. Both of us fall, leg gets stuck in between the two vehicles, with the wheel of the TVS still running. Horrid huge gash on my right leg. I guess I wont be biking for a few weeks atleast, let alone walking without a limp.

I just don't get it. Why this apathy towards smaller vehicles? And I guess on a bicycle, just a helmet and gloves ain't enough in Bangalore. I need a kevlar full body suit. With crumple zones.

Oh damn. Very sorry to hear about this.
Get well soon.

I been lucky so far. Only one near miss thanks to an idiot who overtook me with less than a feet to spare, came in front and then braked. Idiots.

[hrman]

Originally Posted by reswaran

I got t-boned on my way to office yesterday. I was on my .........

Oops.. Thats bad. Wish you a speedy recovery. Very often, cyclists face problems from drivers of bigger vehicles who get a kick out of frightening cyclists.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by reswaran

I got t-boned on my way to office yesterday. I was on my bicycle, heading towards Wipro on Sarjapur road from Carmelaram. Near the Doddakanehanni cross, guy on a TVS Super XL suddenly comes out zooming and t-bones me.

This is something i really dont understand. When entering a main roiad from a side road, why does the vehicle from the side road just barge onto the main road without looking? A Tata Ace T boned my Ikon once through such a stunt!

Anyway, hope the injury isnt deep. As for the junction you mentioned, that place is surely crazy, and will remain so till the state of the ORR improves. Get well soon.

[Iluvcars]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

This is something i really dont understand. When entering a main roiad from a side road, why does the vehicle from the side road just barge onto the main road without looking?

The combo of ego and ignorance is disastrous; more so on roads. The road conditions and other driving habits just exacerbate the results. Applying brakes at the very last moment just before a potential accident is commonplace in India.

[ant_vas]

I have observed that the 2 wheelers tend to squeeze between the smallest of spaces at various locations like: bashyam circle signal coming from sanky tank side, the sagar hospital signal on bannerghatta road and udupi garden signal in BTM or even the st.john's signal in koramangala.

But what is surprising is that if there is a big car (read: skoda, merc, bmw or a SUV) these two wheelers wont even go any way near to it! but if its a maruti/hyundai/tata/fiat etc they squeeze as if its their birth right without any regards for the car getting scratches.

Why this preferential treatment??

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by ant_vas

I have observed that the 2 wheelers tend to squeeze between the smallest of spaces at various locations like: bashyam circle signal coming from sanky tank side, the sagar hospital signal on bannerghatta road and udupi garden signal in BTM or even the st.john's signal in koramangala.

But what is surprising is that if there is a big car (read: skoda, merc, bmw or a SUV) these two wheelers wont even go any way near to it! but if its a maruti/hyundai/tata/fiat etc they squeeze as if its their birth right without any regards for the car getting scratches.

Why this preferential treatment??

Simple - Big car = Rich/Connected/Politicos etc. If accidentally the 2-wheeler guys scratches, he can land in a lot of trouble. Who cares about the normal people on Maruti/Hyundai.