[am1m]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

DGP Karnataka says this, again!Let us see whether if this gets implemented on ground.

I've seen that the checks have reduced over the past decade. Remember a time when they used to setup checkpoints at main roads during the day almost on a daily basis and they used to stop us bikers at every point to extract bribes. Compared to that, these days I have hardly come across one or two once in a while in Bangalore (one of my bikes is a non-KA registered vehicle too). The drunken driving/riding checks have increased for sure at night, but I think the general "harassment-of-bikers" check points during the day have certainly reduced. So with this additional reinforcement of the message by the DGP, situation should get even better.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by binand

Elsewhere in the world school buses get treated with deference on the road. It is in India that a bus dropping or picking up kids get such hatred, so much so that the kids themselves - whose lack of agency is otherwise acknowledged - are blamed and instead of being seen as tomorrow's hope, they are thought of as the villains of the piece.

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

In other countries (atleast to the countries I have been) , I have not seen even one of the school buses being driven rash or them bully other vehicles to yield (honks, tailgate closely).

What I have also observed is that these buses stop anywhere and everywhere. My apartment gate is at a crossroads within the layout. Many buses just stop diagonally and bang on the junction blocking traffic from all directions just to drop the kids in front of the gate. If the bus stopped 15-20 meters on either side, it won't block the traffic. Similarly, there are 5-6 apartment complexes within a half km stretch. The buses stop at all the gates. Instead, if they stopped at one common bus stop, a lot of mess could be avoided. And before people jump on me about kids' safety, I am talking about an internal road with a proper footpath and no commercial establishments in the entire stretch. I suppose parents are also somewhat to be blamed as they want their kids to be dropped exactly in front of the house.

Originally Posted by am1m

these days I have hardly come across one or two once in a while in Bangalore (one of my bikes is a non-KA registered vehicle too). The drunken driving/riding checks have increased for sure at night, but I think the general "harassment-of-bikers" check points during the day have certainly reduced. So with this additional reinforcement of the message by the DGP, situation should get even better.

It is very much prevalent at some junctions in the Bellandur-Maratahalli stretch. On most days they are present on top of the Kadubesanahalli flyover, either in front of the Kia Showroom or on the opposite side. The traffic is already a mess in that junction, so they are easily able to stop bikers and small Tata Ace type of goods vehicles. The funny part is, that they don't catch the vehicles breaking the one-way, and instead concentrate on outside state vehicles and helmet violators. I know because my office is right there and can see all the action.

Another checkpoint is near Saralpuria soft zone on the service lane to Bellandur Central. Here also, bikers are the main target and sometimes cars with non-IND number plates.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

It is very much prevalent at some junctions in the Bellandur-Maratahalli stretch.

Shucks, that's bad to hear, thanks for the clarification. Hopefully with this broadcast by the DGP, it will clear those up as well. Taking a screenshot of his post on Twitter, will keep it handy in case I'm stopped somewhere for no reason.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

The funny part is, that they don't catch the vehicles breaking the one-way, and instead concentrate on outside state vehicles and helmet violators.

I know, that's what used to irritate the heck out of me too! The cops would ignore the cabs and buses blatantly flouting traffic rules, even leave the bikes running through red lights (because it's too much effort to just note down the number or stop them at the next signal, and of course that fine amount won't go directly into their pockets) and focus on soft targets that hadn't even broken any rule, just stop them to "check documents". If they had put in half as much effort catching serious rule breakers (which to be fair they have done in the case of drunken driving/riding checks), traffic would be much better.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by binand

Elsewhere in the world school buses get treated with deference on the road. It is in India that a bus dropping or picking up kids get such hatred, so much so that the kids themselves - whose lack of agency is otherwise acknowledged - are blamed and instead of being seen as tomorrow's hope, they are thought of as the villains of the piece.

Last week, I was out on my morning walk. I was walking on the footpath (a narrow one). Little ahead, I see a bunch of parents and kids have covered the whole length and breadth of the footpath and are waiting for the bus. I get down from the footpath and walk along the side to cross them. No complaints so far.

In this time, their bus arrived and started honking at me. For the 10-15 seconds that I took to cross the parents and kids, I was honked every moment of it. To my amusement, one of parent also tells me that there's a bus behind me while others kept staring. But none offered to move back a little so I could climb onto the footpath. Probably they expected me to walk to the middle of the road so the bus can park by the side.

Was it right? IMO, no. Villains? Maybe.
Afterall, the kids learn everything that they see daily.


Since that day, I changed my walk timing and whenever I see the footpath blocked, I return from that spot back home.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by ashis89

whenever I see the footpath blocked, I return from that spot back home.

On the contrary, I take a much more bullish approach. I gently (but loud enough) say "excuse me please" and then head on towards them irrespective of their reaction. If I have to push to make space, I do it.

Most scenarios they make way/space; sometimes abruptly as if they were surprised. I generally say "thank you" if they do make space for me, don't if I had to squeeze through them. I face this (from general public, not school kids/parents) on my walks/runs quite frequently (unfortunately).


A few days of traveling in Mumbai jampacked locals teaches one this 'approach' quite easily

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by adisan

Yesterday afternoon, around 3 pm, I took the SH-35 from Dommasandra circle towards Varthur. From Gunjur lake till Varthur, a distance of just about 3 km, it took over an hour.

This was fairly common even three-four years back, when I had to commute daily on this route. The choking point is Varthur town with its very narrow roads (and vehicles parked on the sides). My total commute was around 22kms, and 60% of my time was wasted on this Varthur to Hope Farm Jn (a distance of roughly 6-8 kms).

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Instead, if they stopped at one common bus stop, a lot of mess could be avoided. And before people jump on me about kids' safety, I am talking about an internal road with a proper footpath and no commercial establishments in the entire stretch. I suppose parents are also somewhat to be blamed as they want their kids to be dropped exactly in front of the house.

The bolded part is 100% correct. One thing I now came to realise is that many of the kids we see around us are going to grow up as real selfish/petty minded individuals. They may be living in fancy English/British named layouts/apartment blocks etc., but the life out their seems to be too individualistic. Even the parents seems to be focused on very individualistic life styles. Many of us here would be able to just think back on how all of us went to school. It was through public buses (where parents could not decide the stops), cycling and even walking. Kids fought between themselves, then made up, and also managed some basic skills in doing things alone.

Originally Posted by anilupadhya

They are stopping vehicles and checking documents stating there have been many robberies around.

Originally Posted by am1m

The drunken driving/riding checks have increased for sure at night, but I think the general "harassment-of-bikers" check points during the day have certainly reduced.

:. The DGP sahebru is an an expert in legal language, so much so that his statement has a caveat - "merely for checking documents unless it has committed a traffic violation visible to the naked eye". The BTP pretty much is out of this only document checking business at least in city. In the city outskirts their could be a few who focus on stopping long distance trucks etc (and they also have lot of paper work to carry). Other wise; BTP generally stands at a place where they can easily detect traffic violations. And then one in a team generally comes out onto the road asking the vehicle to pull over. The best example of this is the speed violation checking which happens on Elevated Highway.

With the current laws in place; there are at least a half a dozen points using which the police can pull aside a vehicle. Signal jumping, riding without a helmet, over speeding, riding on footpath/dangerous driving, violating one way rules; all these are offences which are "visible to the naked eye". And here the deciding authority is the police man. Once the vehicle is stopped, he can ask for the documents and with their version of mParivahan app (or other tools) get a list of all pending fines etc.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Many of us here would be able to just think back on how all of us went to school. It was through public buses (where parents could not decide the stops), cycling and even walking.

Well, did use public buses and also cycled to school back then. But I think we were still a very privileged lot by those days standards.

Originally Posted by sachinpk

With the current laws in place; there are at least a half a dozen points using which the police can pull aside a vehicle. Signal jumping, riding without a helmet, over speeding, riding on footpath/dangerous driving, violating one way rules;

Pulling over for any of these traffic violations is fine IMHO, cops are just doing their job. (Of course if the vehicle has really committed the violation.) From personal experience, I remember being stopped multiple times in a month on the way to work just for "document checks" 7-10 years ago. Again, personally, I've not experienced that even 3-4 years before covid and now and I still use the bike mainly to commute in the city. So I think that has reduced. If cops stop a vehicle for genuine violations and then use that to pull up previous violations against that vehicle, again I think that is "fine" (pun ).

[adisan]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

The choking point is Varthur town with its very narrow roads (and vehicles parked on the sides). My total commute was around 22kms, and 60% of my time was wasted on this Varthur to Hope Farm Jn (a distance of roughly 6-8 kms).

Have experienced the Varthur Town traffic jams earlier.
On this occasion, there were two other choke-points:

The first was the road from Gunjur Village that joins SH-35. From Gunjur lake till this point, traffic was stand-still most of the time with small bursts of movement. Once this was crossed, there was smooth movement till Brigade Utopia.

There began the second choking session, which lasted till crossing the road from Balagere that joins SH-35. Once this was past, there was surprisingly fast movement till Varthur Circle.


From there till Hope Farm Circle the road has been relaid (part of Metro work?) and there was quite fast movement, even around 5 pm.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by am1m

Pulling over for any of these traffic violations is fine IMHO, cops are just doing their job. (Of course if the vehicle has really committed the violation.)

I read about the famous quote and the incidents behind it in Team BHP itself in some other context:

"Show me the man, I will show the crime" - Leveranty Beria during Stalinist regime.

BTP - "Show me the vehicle, I will show the offence"

Even DGP has talked about violations seen by naked eye rather than technology based proof. So expect to be stopped for suspected signal jump, number plates, car tints, seat belts, horns. While checking and arguing this, we will check documents also. Do they still have mask offense in the list?

Our motto is crime prevention and not reaction!! Hail the force!!!

[balenoed_]

Whoever planning to think of relocating to Bangalore or start working from office in Bangalore, please think again. The traffic is a mess, in all parts of the city and in any day of the week. The city and infrastructure is just not able to handle it. Probably due to the ongoing Metro work all over the place and increased foot print of 4 wheelers post Covid and terrible road conditions. It is HORRIBLE. Again, today it took 1hr 15 mins to cover a distance of 13 kms, and most part through ORR, in a two wheeler.

[niks4568]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Again, today it took 1hr 15 mins to cover a distance of 13 kms, and most part through ORR, in a two wheeler.

True. I regret my decision of moving from Indiranagar to Bellandur due to work location. For a travel from Bellandur to Kadubeesanahalli (4 kms), it takes:
20 mins (light traffic)
30 mins (moderate traffic)
40+ mins (don't-have-a-word-for-it traffic).

[TorqueyTechie]

I am for the most part happy after shifting to another company office of which is in Hebbal. Earlier, my commute from home to office at Sarjapur/EC used to be pain because of multiple chokepoints and used to take anywhere between 45 mins to 2 hrs (13/17 kms). Compared to that my current office is around 17 kms from home and takes me approx 35-50 mins even though I have to travel through CBD for roughly 50% of the distance. Touchwood it stays the same.

[deetee]

Originally Posted by niks4568

True. I regret my decision of moving from Indiranagar to Bellandur due to work location. For a travel from Bellandur to Kadubeesanahalli (4 kms), it takes:
20 mins (light traffic)
30 mins (moderate traffic)
40+ mins (don't-have-a-word-for-it traffic).

For both of these cases, walking makes better sense, I believe. One can take short cuts to cut down some distance and time.

[binand]

Originally Posted by niks4568

For a travel from Bellandur to Kadubeesanahalli [...] 40+ mins (don't-have-a-word-for-it traffic).

If you are on a two-wheeler and the traffic is gridlocked to this extend - you could try Bellandur-Bellandur Bridge-Sakra Hospital-Patel School-Vaswani Astoria-Prestige Tech Park-Kadubisanahalli. Village roads in the middle of the city but can cut down that time a lot.

[anandhsub]

Originally Posted by binand

If you are on a two-wheeler and the traffic is gridlocked to this extend - you could try Bellandur-Bellandur Bridge-Sakra Hospital-Patel School-Vaswani Astoria-Prestige Tech Park-Kadubisanahalli. Village roads in the middle of the city but can cut down that time a lot.

I use this even in a car to get to Wind tunnel road from Prestige tech park. Roads are fairly decent.