Traffic Woes

Each city has it's own traffic woes. I've driven in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, and have had the misfortune of having seen the traffic in Chennai and Calcutta. I believe the true test of the "drivability" in a city is to try to drive during office going hours.

 

Let me start with the Delhi traffic. The Delhi traffic, seems the most organised, not because of the ability of the people driving, but because of the wide and pot-hole-less roads. However, people on a whole do not have the sense to drive, and considering the wide roads of Delhi, if people used a little more sense in their driving, the traffic of Delhi could be top notch. I think the biggest problem with the traffic in Delhi is the "road-rage". It is so bad, that it has led the media to coin a new term, i.e., road-rage.

 

The Mumbai traffic is far worse than the Delhi traffic. The roads of Mumbai however, are in a far worse condition, mainly due to the ferocious rainy season. It is quite a majour headache getting from one place to another during office hours in Mumbai, especially in the rainy season. The people, however, are far more controlled than in Delhi.

 

The Bangalore traffic is by far the worst in the country. The people are immature and senseless while driving. Of course the narrow roads, polka-dotted with man-hole size pot-holes does not help the cause. This is the only city I have seen in which there could be a true traffic jam, where a car could be stuck for an hour without moving an inch. People who want to turn right, do so from the extremely left lane; people who want to turn left, do so from the extreme right lane.

 

I think the steps taken in Delhi should be used as an example for other cities. There was a time in Delhi when right turns were blocked on the main roads, thus smoothening out the traffic. The spiringing up of numerous flyovers all over Delhi has also helped ease the traffic situation there. If only people would be calm on the roads, Delhi would be close to heaven to drive in.

 

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 (Pensive)