[TorqueyTechie]

Slow moving traffic on ORR near agara. Took me 20 mins to cross agara from jakkasandra . Google maps shows red all the way till marathahalli. People taking this route be ready for a longggg time on the road.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by dass

I think it is open. last week when I was returning from the airport, I saw some cabs take the left at the second round about and that is the route to the mud road. When you return, there are barricades placed, but enough room for a single car to pass through. If there are people still taking it, I guess it should be open.

Unless saving the 125 bucks and/or Hebbal mess is crucial, I would suggest avoid! The recent rains plus dirt surface will ensure your vehicle looks like a Paris-Dakar competitor. I have heard some cabbies are refusing that route due to the mess left on the vehicle; of course, could be the probability of the lower fare (for KR Puram bound passengers).

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by neeravnaik

I realized traffic in our country is so bad after my trip last week to Bali.
This is not even the most developed country to compare against. Everything is very comparable to India. Rest of the world is expected to be much better.

Not just Bali, the situation is similar in most countries in South East Asia. I was in Thailand last year for 10 days on a holiday (Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi) and not even once did we hear crazy honking or swearing on the road. BKK has crazy traffic jams but everyone, largely all 4 wheelers, including cabs, are disciplined (barring a few exceptions - usually bikes or tuk tuks). Even in Phuket where there is bad traffic in the Patong area due to the touristy nature, everything was peaceful and most drivers had a smile on their face.

I totally agree with your assessment of the scene in Bali

I have seen similar situations in other developing countries like China, Egypt, Malaysia where people have warned me of bad traffic and how one should be thankful seatbelts are invented.

My conclusion (after travelling to over 25-30 countries, covering both developed and developing nations)is that India is probably the worst place to be on the road, with the rudest, most arrogant drivers (across all categories) with zero respect for rules, non existent empathy for other drivers etc. Blame it on extremely poor infrastructure, improper enforcement, call it whatever but a lot of it has to come from within. Travel to any part of the world and it is quite likely that the person jumping the line at the airport, or waiting for an elevator, would be an Indian !! It is just in our genes to act impatient without caring for the others !

[neeravnaik]

Originally Posted by aroonanand

My conclusion (after travelling to over 25-30 countries, covering both developed and developing nations)is that India is probably the worst place to be on the road, with the rudest, most arrogant drivers (across all categories) with zero respect for rules, non existent empathy for other drivers etc. Blame it on extremely poor infrastructure, improper enforcement, call it whatever but a lot of it has to come from within. Travel to any part of the world and it is quite likely that the person jumping the line at the airport, or waiting for an elevator, would be an Indian !! It is just in our genes to act impatient without caring for the others !

Yes this is the sad conclusion I am coming around to. Everywhere you go there is a proper system being followed in terms of lane discipline, exit lanes, turning lanes, etc. Volume of traffic in some of our cities is high but it is not unique. Many other global cities are known for high traffic volumes which becomes bad at times. But the systems and driving sense ensures it never gets as dire as here.

[lazy]

Originally Posted by aroonanand

My conclusion (after travelling to over 25-30 countries, covering both developed and developing nations)is that India is probably the worst place to be on the road, with the rudest, most arrogant drivers (across all categories) with zero respect for rules, non existent empathy for other drivers etc. Blame it on extremely poor infrastructure, improper enforcement, call it whatever but a lot of it has to come from within. Travel to any part of the world and it is quite likely that the person jumping the line at the airport, or waiting for an elevator, would be an Indian !! It is just in our genes to act impatient without caring for the others !

My country travel counts is nowhere near yours, but around a dozen.
And I whole-heartedly agree with your assessment.

Indians are hands down the worst people to encounter on the road. I am guessing Pakistan and Bangladesh should be similar, but I haven't travelled to these places to tell for sure.

cheers
lazy

[paragsachania]

^ and you forget our beloved beautiful neighbor Sri Lanka which fares much better when it comes to road discipline and manners when on road. We are simply no match to them.

We have developed a habit to honk even if there is nothing ahead & flash headlights even if there are 2 Flower Pots parked on the pavement and you think you have a right of way.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

^ and you forget our beloved beautiful neighbor Sri Lanka which fares much better when it comes to road discipline and manners when on road. We are simply no match to them.

We have developed a habit to honk even if there is nothing ahead & flash headlights even if there are 2 Flower Pots parked on the pavement and you think you have a right of way.

Agree. Many SE Asian countries have the same traditional 2 lane undivided highways especially in the coastal regions. In my road trips in Thailand etc, not once have I seen oncoming cars bullying and overtaking in the wrong lane or trucks parked haphazardly beyond turns or at danger spots.

Personal discipline & common sense in following scientifically designed and clearly signposted road rules, and effective policing make ALL the difference. We Indians simply expect others to follow all rules and blame God for all adverse events/circumstances :-(

There is a clear lack of internalized personal responsibility!

Sorry for the rant!

[sachinpk]

Not a traffic specific rant. But looks like some thing is cooking up on the Bellandur Lake clean up front.
NGT orders immediate closure of industries around Bellandur lake

On the same, the statement of Rajeev Chandrashekhar MP seems to be quite relevant.
Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar, too, lauded the NGT order. In a statement on Wednesday, he said the order was a “slap” for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Urban Development Department (UDD) “which, despite having been exposed multiple times, continue to be a front for builders and not the interest of the city and voices of the people”.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Unless saving the 125 bucks and/or Hebbal mess is crucial, I would suggest avoid! The recent rains plus dirt surface will ensure your vehicle looks like a Paris-Dakar competitor. I have heard some cabbies are refusing that route due to the mess left on the vehicle; of course, could be the probability of the lower fare (for KR Puram bound passengers).

On my way back from the Bangalore international airport this morning, turned left from the second roundabout onto the dirt track. It's about a 1.5 km stretch and needs careful manuevering especially on a sedan since it's deeply rutted at a few patches. I had a marauding Fortuner blind me in a cloud of dust in the Glee of discovering this brief offroading opportunity. The dirt track takes you onto a well paved but narrow 2 lane road which I followed for about 7 KMS. There are a couple of forks in the road and some signs painted NH7 on concrete which guided me along in addition to tailing cabbies. The last stretch ran parallel to a railway line - there was a small level crossing which I skipped - and I caught sight of the familar hulk of the flyover just before I emerged from the wilderness in front of decathlon well after the toll plaza.

This stretch is best avoided at night and when it's raining and definitely if both conditions are met

[audioholic]

Just asking out of curiosity, has the buses of Samsung and Dell EMC stopped plying? Either I have not travelled by the ORR frequently these days or I havent seen these buses from a long time. There was once upon a time when these buses would just rampage across the ORR in between 5-6PM and would be all over the road. Now, I have only seen SAP buses and the non branded fleet.

This Monday, I am not sure which company runs those golden brown buses with tinted glass. Near Ulsoor Cemetry, one of such buses changed lanes to the left recklessly though there was a cart full of steel utensils being pushed to the extreme left. I was on my Dio a little behind this and the driver was so careless, he ended up pushing the cart and toppling it over the footpath. The owner of the cart also fell onto the footpath and got a few bruises. Since the bus was diagonally across the road and the path was blocked, a few of us stopped and picked up the fallen utensils. The bus driver came out and claimed that the lane was clear when he initiated the turn. Not sure which mirror he used to check that.

After a round of giving mouthfulls to the driver by the people around, he left the scene but not sure if they compensated anything to the guy pushing the cart. The issue of recklessly driven buses have been discussed so frequently and these are classic examples to show the carelessness of the educated IT folks inside the buses. Not one chap came down to offer help. Not sure if this is a company mandate to stick inside the bus in case of an issue and let the driver bore the brunt alone. If that is the case, then also ensure that you get a disciplined cab driver. There are many such drivers whom I see on a daily basis who do drive sensibly. If the bad ones are filtered out, it will definitely make the roads safer. Instead, we here some comments like everyone are the same and so. That is not the case. The bad ones should be taught that if they dont mend their ways, we will always find someone better.

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Just asking out of curiosity, has the buses of Samsung and Dell EMC stopped plying? Either I have not travelled by the ORR frequently these days or I havent seen these buses from a long time. There was once upon a time when these buses would just rampage across the ORR in between 5-6PM and would be all over the road. Now, I have only seen SAP buses and the non branded fleet.

This Monday, I am not sure which company runs those golden brown buses with tinted glass.

I drive on the ORR everyday and I do see the Samsung buses, not sure of Dell EMC. I dont think the Samsung buses ply at frequent intervals like Infosys / some others and hence they are seen only at a particular time. They are parked in the daytime in an open ground between the Samsung office and Rainbow Hospital on the ORR.

Unless I am horribly wrong, these golden brown AC buses are CISCO buses, usually operated by Infants. These jerks can give the SRS buses of Infosys a run for its money for mad / dangerous driving on the ORR.

[neeravnaik]

Originally Posted by lazy

My country travel counts is nowhere near yours, but around a dozen.
And I whole-heartedly agree with your assessment.

Indians are hands down the worst people to encounter on the road. I am guessing Pakistan and Bangladesh should be similar, but I haven't travelled to these places to tell for sure.

cheers
lazy

Dhaka traffic is supposed to be the worst in the world. They have endless traffic jams.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by aroonanand

I drive on the ORR everyday and I do see the Samsung buses, not sure of Dell EMC. I dont think the Samsung buses ply at frequent intervals like Infosys / some others and hence they are seen only at a particular time. They are parked in the daytime in an open ground between the Samsung office and Rainbow Hospital on the ORR.

Unless I am horribly wrong, these golden brown AC buses are CISCO buses, usually operated by Infants. These jerks can give the SRS buses of Infosys a run for its money for mad / dangerous driving on the ORR.

No, Cisco buses dont have the INFANTS sticker. The INFANT ones belong to some company in prestige tech park on the opposite side.

[Notyetgrey]

Those Infant buses are operated for JP Morgan Chase employees in PTP.

[aroonanand]

So today was a very pleasant drive on ORR - left home near BMP, Mahadevapura by 930 AM and was at work on Sarjapur Road by 10 AM. I joined ORR near Samsung under the new flyover and curiously, there were hardly any BMTC buses on the entire Mahadevapura - Marathahalli stretch coming from KR Puram side. Was there any block near KR puram which caused this? If so, clearly shows how much these BMTC morons contribute to traffic jams on ORR.