Driving Through Bangalore Traffic

[hamster]

Hi All,
Believe there are a lot of Bangaloreans in this forum.
I have been driving around various parts of bangalore for the past 5 years. Sometimes the roads are breeze, but mostly, feel that I should have an offroader to handle the roads.
Coming to traffic, the city's traffic sometimes amazes me and puts a question in my mind - "Where's everybody heading to?".
I must agree that my driving has matured over the years and today, when I stand at traffic signal which is in RED, and see fellow motorists on the road, just zipping through not minding the RED, and sometimes, cursing you for standing on RED, the blood does boil.
What are your experiences on the same.
This might also well serve as any route/diversions/alternate routes for our daily commuters.

Thoughts please

Cheers
Venkat

 

[350Z]

Nice topic, Hamster. Yes, indeed we have some healthy amount of Bangaloreans on the forum. But as far as the traffic situation is concerned, I find that it is more or less similar throughout our nation. Primary cause being lack of driving sense and failure to comply with traffic regulations, on the other hand, poor road conditions and infrastructure does also significantly affect it too.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Serrao]

Well, my blood boils when I see the 50 kms speed restriction board on the outer ring road and I am forced to maintain those speeds even when I am in a hurry:(

350Z, crossing the divider esp. near the traffic signals and motorists riding on footpath is a common sight throughout our nation?

 

[hamster]

Indeed, lack of driving sense is prevalant everywhere in this country. Also, I feel our country men, need to have a bit of respect for a fellow human being be it from any walk of life. With regards to infrastructure, oh that calls for a new thread may be titled
"Where does all those Road Tax amount go ?"
Coming back to the thread, one of the major reasons I see in Bangalore is the traffic fails to move at a decent pace at a signal.
Reasons ?
1) Most of Bus stops located just immediately after a signal.
2) Even if there is a bus bay located a few metres away from a major junction/signal, bus drivers(both private operators and BMTC) never use the bus bays.
3) If there is no bus stop located adjacent to a signal, and still the traffic moves slow, you can be sure of "craters" on the road, which impact the speed.
The above 3 reasons cause a huge pile-up of the vehicles waiting signal.
Result : One impatient motorist , decides to cut through lanes to go ahead and creates further snarls.
I do meet a minimum of one such "smart" fellow on the road and will keep this thread updated.

 

[Figoian]

Good thread in deed. As other said, this issue is not limited to B’lore alone, but sadly the entire nation.

Despite the known factors like infrastructure; politics etc., traffic concerns are mostly because of lack of our own self-discipline. And most importantly “Don’t care” or “Chalta Re” attitude.

Many such traits can be commonly seen on the road. The list would probably go onnnn… Just putting few comes into my mind right now.

1. Block the free left when one is intended to head straight. (Same to right turns as well).
2. Frequent lane changing & zig-zag driving and take a turn anywhere you like.
3. Wrong side driving / overtaking (the most irritating one – especially when you are the unluckiest one to be on the edge of the lane and awaiting green light for hours).
4. Buses & Autos (Rickshaws) – Unwritten Rule: They don’t have to follow any rules at all.
5. Bikers – Possibly, to be added to the above point, but didn’t since not everyone is at blame. But a BIG YES…
6. Curbside Parking Lots occupied by Street Vendors – They even threaten you not to park the car there or it will be deflated.
7. Double Parking (Sometime Triple Parking as well).
8. Most Importantly – Cellphone Driving. Seems everyone in our country is SO BUSY, especially while driving. A BIG HATE to this.

Let me take some rest…

 

[sunny verma]

the traffic and bumps hurts the car and us too.

 

[Highway Ranger]

Most annoying for me is guys (educated) drifting into your lane without even realizing what they are doing. Have to honk to wake them up.

 

[hamster]

Sunny, you still call it humps, in Bangalore I call it a "mini wall" erected mid of the road. Most of them without the stripes and might get you caught unaware !!

Ranger, you beat me to that !! Most of the erroneous drivers are the educated crowd here. I have fitted a Roots Horn in my swifty and activate it occassionally in city traffic to wake them up.

Figoian, your points are something which I face everyday on my way back home near the Graphite India Signal. The vehicles(mostly BMTC buses and the private buses ferrying employees) going towards ITPL have to take a right turn there and will block both the lanes making you wait for a good 5-10 minutes everytime to go ahead.
The worst traffic offenders
1) Cabbies - everything is right for them, since they have to meet their deadline imposed by the companies to ferry the employees on time. If they are delayed, their trip-sheet will not be honoured. I really pity them.
2) BMTC Buses - especially the pushpak services, where the driver doubles up as the conductor. Its better not to be in the vicinity of the buses, because they simply wont bother your honking and continue to be/do what they are.
The worser nightmare is the Volvo services. I sometimes feel, if there was a championship held simillar to F1 for buses, then BMTC Volvo drivers would occupy the entire podium.
3) Auto Rickshaws - First of all they refuse to go to the place where you want to go. But beyond that, if they agree, then other motorists will have a nightmare. Their way of overtaking from your left and sneaking their autorickshaws and parking perpendicularly to you in a traffic is something, which only they can do.
4) Two Wheelers - driving on the right lane, cutting from the left, driving on a footpath, overtaking on a curve from both the sides.

Will continue in this thread about some pain-point junctions which I enounter in my everyday commute and my experiences with these funny creatures.

 

[sunny verma]

There is nothing predictable about Bangalore’s traffic, unless you count the nightmarish daily gridlocks, the work-in-progress state of the roads with their semi-complete traffic overpasses and a metro system under construction.

 

[Highway Ranger]

Another irritating thing is the bikers squeezing through the gap between 2 cars waiting at the signal to go to another lane. I have got some scratches due to this. Sometimes I feel like raming him against the car in front.

 

[Vishwas]

The worst situation i see in the traffic jams in Bangalore is when the two wheelers just zipping through the gaps and if you try to block them they give a weird look as though you have stopped their pursuit! I get exhausted really when this process is done!.

Next up is our "KILLER BMTC",they like to block the whole road while in a stop and stopping in front of the other buses blocking the whole lane just for fun,Feels like in their heads,so what i do is get in front of them keep my speed at 40kmph and not letting them overtake both the sides!(and of course getting honked by their puny horns)

And the "Auto Rajas",Keep on revving thinking everyone will give way to them and go in their own lane liking to block us(car owners).

Bangalore has become worst for city commuting.All because of emerging ITs the traffic has grown very deep where the cabbies don't care whatever happens.

 

[krish_go]

@Hamster
This is a very good thread. Thanks for starting this. At least through this, we can share our frustrations out.
Bangalore traffic is much better/organized than Hyd if had to compare. But in course of time this all is changing.
As the number of Auto/Bus population started to increase, driving on the rd become worse. I drive from Sanjay Nagar to Hosur rd (my office) every day and so I guess i can say no one has ever gone through any BP issues like me.
I lose my kool and get into an argument almost every day due to the way they drive.
No lane discipline, No care for other travelers, "I need to go first attitude" are just few i can think of at this time.
Oh and forgot abt cab drivers, I cannot find a word to describe them from the entire dictionary.

 

[hamster]

@Krish, chill !! I was in a very same situation like yours and used to get boiled down just at the drop of a hat seeing those morons on the road.
Know what, in one such incident, the impact was the front windshield and the driver side mirror shattered(repair cost ~ 5K) for getting into an argument with some street smart bikers.
Nowadays, I just dont react. Just give them a glance/stare. No point, screwing up your happiness, not worth it yaar.
As my friend quoted about the Auto drivers here, "Whats the point in shouting at them, if they had the brains, would they be driving an auto?" - made sense for me.
But as you said, sometimes, when its done by an educated folk, yeah, I just ask them, "Do you call yourself educated?" and zoom off !!

 

[krish_go]

@Hamster. Very valid comments my friend.
The thing which irritates me the most is when they stare back as if we dont know driving and done the wrong thing.

 

[Highway Ranger]

Very true! I was taking a left turn and a biker come from that road to take a right turn cuts the corner and expect me to move to the right to let him way. When I block his way, he stare at me as if I have to let him cut corner. I made him move back and went on my way.

The main problem is that people do not know the basic traffic rules.

Then there are those who know the rules but prefer to take short cuts, thereby causing a traffic jam. what do you do to them.

There was this smart guy who overtakes all the cars waiting in a narrow road for traffic jam to clear, to come head on to the bus coming on the opposite side. Then he puts the left indicator and tries to cut in front of me. When I stop him and rolled down my window and asked him what he was trying to do, he says "sorry, didn't see the traffic." I told him that it was his problem and asked him to reverse to let the bus pass and went on my way.

Are all of us, following the rule, idiots? Sometimes I wish I was driving a bulldozer.