[Omkar]

We all are well aware of the utter lack of discipline of people on Indian roads. There's even a dedicated thread to discuss bad drivers - Related Thread.

In all this chaos and rants about traffic indiscipline, bad road management, corrupt traffic cops, etc., a positive news article on traffic discipline in India sure comes as a surprise.

Recently, a viral video showing how the traffic in Aizwal moves seamlessly piqued everyone's interest. It can be seen that despite the lack of lane markings or blocks, commuters maintain lane traffic and follow rules on their own.

The video was shared by internet user Elizabeth on Instagram. A video of Aizawl's city traffic shows cars parked on the right side of the road while other cars are seen moving behind each other without honking or overtaking. Next to the cars, there is a separate lane for motorists. It is also to be noted that almost all riders on the two-wheelers are wearing helmets. Despite the lack of lane markings or blocks, commuters are seen maintaining lane traffic on their own. The text super in the video calls Aizawl as India's "only silent city."

Source

Infosys founder had said he felt uncomfortable in Delhi because of its traffic discipline. As Indian cities struggle to find solutions to unending chaos on the roads, Aizawl shows that it's possible to inculcate traffic discipline.

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Image Source


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The Quint had done a story on this last year. Some of the quotes from residents are worth mentioning.

It's not that we read the traffic rules, learn them by heart, or study them. It is just in our nature. We care for others. And we don't brutally overtake people and switch lanes.
- Gloria, Resident

"Give time to others also. Respect others. As much as you want to reach on time, others also want to reach on time."
Tleipuia Ralte, Resident

Source

Here's a video version of the story -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaTB6XaW8Hk

If anyone is from Aizawl or has traveled, do share your insights and experiences.

[Dry Ice]

Not surprising at all. I have found the same in Meghalaya. Roads leading to Shillong are a similar sight, with most cars waiting patiently in case of traffic build up.

You are also likely to notice a lot less unnecessary honking. It does feel pleasant, and a bit different. But then, your holiday ends and you are dropped back into the death race of the metros.

[ABHI_1512]

Not only Aizawl, I have come across such disciplined traffic in many areas and towns like Gangtok, Shillong and Itanagar as well. Since the roads around these towns are also narrow and mountainous in nature, motorists tend to follow the lane discipline very much. Although Aizawl takes the cake, rest of the towns are also catching up. By and large from what I have seen, the drivers from the hills are more disciplined than the drivers from the plains. This discipline probably has come from driving in the narrow hilly roads where any overtaking manoeuvre can result in a massive traffic snarl.

Here are some pictures from Naharlagun (Itanagar), Arunachal Pradesh. The bikers can be seen maintaining a straight line through a non-existent divider while the traffic moves on the opposite side. Honking is much less compared to the metros and people do wait patiently for the traffic to move on, so much so that it becomes unnerving sometimes. I have been seeing this kind of traffic discipline in Itanagar since a very long time. I am sure Aizawl had this discipline since long as well, just that it came into limelight through some viral video and people started noticing.

[ToThePoint]

Like they say...Life for mountain people has always been a challenge and I guess the humbleness that results, percolates down their lives and behaviour!!!

[gunin]

I had the good fortune of driving across Mizoram for a week in 2018. Even by our hill state standards, Mizoram is a notch above when it comes to courtesy- driving or otherwise. The lane discipline , no honking is not limited to Aizawl but to other parts of the state as well. When we would come a vehicle on the road, it would try to give way for overtaking even without any signal from us. I tried driving in the same manner once I was back to Assam but realized pretty quickly it would get me nowhere.

[GoBabyGo]

Delighted to see this actually happen in India. However, North East was not very well connected to rest of India till some years back so North Indian migrating to Eastern part of India was very rare. Now since Eastern Part of India is well connected and in few years we will see many North Indians moving to Mizoram etc. things may change to bad in no time. Bengaluru & Pune is a classic example. I wish I proved wrong though.

Moderator Note: Do NOT post messages that discriminate based on region.

[Tapo]

Originally Posted by GoBabyGo

Delighted to see this actually happen in India. However, North East was not very well connected to rest of India till some years back so North Indian migrating to Eastern part of India was very rare. Now since Eastern Part of India is well connected and in few years we will see many North Indians moving to Mizoram etc. things may change to bad in no time. Bengaluru & Pune is a classic example. I wish I proved wrong though.

This is a very simplistic view , I guess you are not aware of the ground reality. As someone who has stayed in the North East for over 20 years, there are a few reasons why this may never happen :
1. There is a requirement of an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to even visit Mizoram, forget about settling here
2. There are no opportunities in most states of the North East to do business or jobs for outsiders , there is a strong reservation policy which protects and favours the locals and always an undercurrent of hostility towards the folks from the plains. Visit , take photos and videos but leave us alone seems to be the motto.
3. North East has been well connected by previous governments as well, it is just that geography and physics , read it as Mountains and other elements make it very difficult to get proper connectivity here. The airport in Shillong cannot accomodate large plains as due to space constraints and there is not enough space in the plateau to extend it.

There are complex problems and issues here, some of which may not be politically correct for this forum.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by GoBabyGo

Delighted to see this actually happen in India. However, North East was not very well connected to rest of India till some years back so North Indian migrating to Eastern part of India was very rare. Now since Eastern Part of India is well connected and in few years we will see many North Indians moving to Mizoram etc. things may change to bad in no time. Bengaluru & Pune is a classic example. I wish I proved wrong though.

Pune was known for its indiscipline since its " bicycle" days. The great PL Deshpande has even stated in one of his famous works of satire that "you must navigate Pune using your bicycle like a weapon" to qualify as a true Punekar.

[theabstractmind]

What a refreshing thread! I really hope all cities become like this. I have really found it easier to drive slow in a disciplined traffic like this one than get stuck in a chaotic jam.

And what an irony! That this happens to be in the same India we live in! And that there's another thread doing rounds where people are still debating on the overtaking on the left most lane, blah blah.

I'm a convert. I used to be naive to drive like almost everyone else does about a decade ago. Then, I learnt!

To sign-off, Kudos to the Mizos and the others around there for having this discipline.

[TDCi4Life]

Originally Posted by Tapo

1. There is a requirement of an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to even visit Mizoram, forget about settling here
2. There are no opportunities in most states of the North East to do business or jobs for outsiders , there is a strong reservation policy which protects and favours the locals and always an undercurrent of hostility towards the folks from the plains. Visit , take photos and videos but leave us alone seems to be the motto.

Seconded.

During my solo trip to Tawang (via Guwahati-Tezpur-Bomdila) for a week, couple of years ago, I stayed at a homestay. Got to know the family and the local community. Wonderful people, uncomplicated lives. Relatively untouched by the evils of hyper development. I had nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for their fierce sense of preserving their way of life.

Their protectionist policies might seem unfriendly to outsiders when it comes to work, property ownership or long term residence. But, this is precisely the reason why their simplistic way of life has stood the test of time.

Incidentally, I did not come across a single soul who bemoaned the lack of advanced facilities or frivolous trappings of the urban life. It was almost like travelling back in time, for all the right reasons!

[driver52001]

Shillong and Imphal and other northeast capitals have this kind of traffic discipline. Even in Shimla you'll find this. The reason has got more to do with hill town roads. Everyone knows there's no more space left. Whoever breaks the queue will stick out like a sore thumb and probably be thrashed. But once out on the outskirts, all discipline goes out of the window, whether Shillong or Imphal. The 'normal' Indian driving manifest there as usual, like overtaking on a bend even in the hills. This discipline is mostly in municipal limits of hill towns.

[RunGaDa]

It’s great to read this. There’s no other way to implement this. Low level corruption does not allow enforcement of rules in equal manner in India.
I have seen similar discipline in North Goa. The lanes are small with undivided road which can allow at max one big vehicle in the lane each in either sides. A lot 80% of locals use automatic two wheelers and before entering a main road every single one stops at the bend to check for incoming vehicles. This was very heartening to see.
This discipline is also present in Mumbai. However place like Hyderabad it’s non existent.
The only difference between Hyderabad is no one bothers. Not even the police!

[Samfromindia]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Not only Aizawl, I have come across such disciplined traffic in many areas and towns like Gangtok, Shillong and Itanagar as well.

This is something we all can vouch for !

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

Pune was known for its indiscipline since its " bicycle" days. The great PL Deshpande has even stated in one of his famous works of satire that "you must navigate Pune using your bicycle like a weapon" to qualify as a true Punekar.

The first thing which I noticed after relocating to Pune is, driving in the wrong direction ! Then traffic violations are hardly penalized which in turn leads to more indiscipline. It has been good for me though. To give you a context, on average I used to get booked at least 2-3 times every 6 months in Kolkata on average, ranging from wrong turn to over speeding. In Pune, no bookings for last 5yrs !

Recently had a bad time in Ahmedabad, getting used to ignoring the red light here, like other Punekars

[DarthVeda]

Couple of incidents which happened to me when I toured north east:
1. In Pelling, me and my wife were about to start to the Helipad, from where you can get a clear view of mountains, I put on my helmet and was about to start when the hotel guy came running to us and told me wife to put helmet as well, it was hardly 500m from the hotel and it was a very small town with no traffic, but I was amazed by the willingness to obey the traffic rules.
2. In Gangtok, no bike went to the opposite lane to overtake, there were no horn sounds.
3. Me and my wife tried to cross road only to be told to go back and use the Zebra crossing.
4. Exiting Shillong, I saw a huge queue of vehicles and empty opposite lane, I didn't zoom into the lane thinking there must be a blockage ahead, to my surprise it was a slow moving tractor holding up everyone, they waited until he pulled over.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Tapo

This is a very simplistic view , I guess you are not aware of the ground reality. As someone who has stayed in the North East for over 20 years, there are a few reasons why this may never happen :
1. There is a requirement of an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to even visit Mizoram, forget about settling here
2. There are no opportunities in most states of the North East to do business or jobs for outsiders , there is a strong reservation policy which protects and favours the locals and always an undercurrent of hostility towards the folks from the plains. Visit , take photos and videos but leave us alone seems to be the motto.
3. North East has been well connected by previous governments as well, it is just that geography and physics , read it as Mountains and other elements make it very difficult to get proper connectivity here. The airport in Shillong cannot accomodate large plains as due to space constraints and there is not enough space in the plateau to extend it.

There are complex problems and issues here, some of which may not be politically correct for this forum.

I'd say some of the above could be a bit overstated.

i'm married to a Mizo and have spent quite a lot of time out here... there are indeed politically incorrect discussions of partly historic import that can be avoided here, but worth looking into if one is to try and understand the mind of the people better. Relatives here lived through the separatist movement of the 70's/80's, and going back earlier one does find references here to King George VI, definitively "Excluded Areas" as far as colonial administrators (and the first PM?) were concerned. I'll not say more.

That granted, I've met a fair number of mainland Indians who are working in gov/ private sector, business proprietors and the like: One running a mobile shop, a South Indian who's been here a couple decades in the tyre business, some Kashmiris who own a metal supply, a Marwari and his Bihari staff who own/operate the first petrol pump in a certain provincial town a couple hours from the capital. Another outsider running large speciallty grocery shop, another in a wholesale supply, there is a large Nepali community here descended from members of the Gurkha regiment once present here, I know one with an auto parts shop; Met a hotel proprietor yesterday whose cook is from Dhaka, and we have many, many soldiers from the Assam Rifles and other miltary groups here, as well... Met Himachali soldiers and a road engineer in the extreme south of the state last week, another group of (surprisingly) young engineers/ contractors at another highway -building site. I met a lady from Bihar who probably came as a girl laborer decades ago, made her way taking care of cows, and having learned the langauge and adapted culturally and endeared herself to many, was even given a free land grant by her local Village Council. These just a smattering of examples apart from the huge number of tradesmen / laborers.

Large-scale settlement by mainland Indians? Most wouldn't be able to take it. The extreme monoculture, the lack of any good parks/ open spaces in the capital, the roads so winding as to be intolerable for anyone with the slightest inclination to motion-sickness...

I can understand and empathise with local fears/ concerns about being overrun by rude drivers or vast family conglomerates whose business acumen and dominance spans literally centuries. But also feel that in the end Mizos will have to learn to operate more efficiently, to put in hard work, to initiate and develop outside connections on a larger scale, etc. And just be willing to control bad behavior and practices from outsiders - and themselves.

Seems no good reason that they should continue operating on the basis of union/association controls and price-fixing, for example transporting already overpriced items from Aizawl a mere couple hours out to whichever village and then charging their own people double. It is basically injustice as far as the poor are conerned... with shopkeepers prospering without going to even as much trouble of traveling overnight to Guwahati to hook up with some wholesalers... There is the (lazy and destructive) slash & burn "agriculture", massive gov. corruption at every level, and in general it's safe to generalize that hard work and dilgence are devalued and avoided both in gov and private realms. Outsiders are a threat to laziness, lack of accounting, and backward ways of thinking, to be sure.

Personally, yes, I myself would rather that most outsiders come and snap pictures and go home - at least if they are going to refuse to respect local norms for behavior etc.

BUT some outsiders manage to integrate and contribute meaningfully, and I do feel that in consideration of longstanding isolation and the narrow-mindedness which ensues, this is important and beneficial to the people here.

We have a friend here from Orissa who is a wildlife researcher with an Instagram page, he's learned the language and within a relatively brief timeframe become endeared to thousands of Mizos and even the Tourism Dept, who link to his work on their official website. And has gained quite a lot of cooperation towards conservation by working respectfully with community organizations like the YMA, etc.

The language can be a real barrier, but having hurdled that there is potential.

Over the 13 years I've been married I've seen a marked increase in the numbers of outsiders living here. The Mizoram University staff complained to me about how the non-Mizo staff throw all their trash down from dorm windows and won't lift a finger to take their waste to the collection truck. And I personally witnessed mainland Indian students fighting their way onto a public bus, competing against their own female companions for seats. I had to scold them - this is not the culture here! And it doesn't show well or do anything too endear outsiders to the locals.

All this said, things will need to finally open up a bit if we are to have accountability, healthy competiion and overall betterment; And I suppose this will be inevitable with the new railway link and the Kaladan Project about to dramatically improve access, and the construction of broad highways connecting with Burma to the South, and Bangladesh to the West, all well underway. I think with these, the ILP (actually Protected Area Permit in Mizoram's case) is going to have to become less stringent, if not entirely a thing of the past, it simply is not going to be practical/ feasible moving forward. It has been eliminated in some other "sensitive" places already, and the ILP anyway to some extent is a leftover from the colonial period that is probably better put to rest.

Some positive inflow and change is required, but the obvious risk of negative change is legitimately feared. It is a fine balance, and needs to be carefully, respectfully, cooperatively, and sometimes firmly handled. I do feel that in general, locals have to be allowed to have some final say in their destinies and prevent the destruction of good things they hold dear, but not to the degree they can perpetually engage in (unionized) thuggery, corruption, and blatant illegal activity with impunity. Have seen too much of this both here and in Manali, and it discredits / disenfranchises/ holds things back in the long run.

To come full circle, then, to the topic at hand: The enculturated courteousness in traffic is greatly appreciated and makes driving here a real pleasure - nobody double-lanes, everybody ALWAYS dips their headlights to oncoming traffic, it's very rare to hear even a short toot on the horn, and things tend to move along briskly - its great.

BUT one thing is for sure: Traffic discipline is a very different thing from overall traffic safety. Evidenced by the fact that every day of the week I see two-wheelers severly overspeeding and dangerously overtaking in the city. And on country roads, they are habitually riding around blind turns in the opposing lane - had many near-misses out there. And more seriously, perhaps, every evening of the week when I venture out, I witness considerably impaired and sometimes extremely drunk drivers out on the roads. I am not speaking of isolated cases, it is actuallly endemic. Often it's two-wheeler operators with passengers, sometimes cars also. A guy in an Ecosport a couple evenings ago was so "gone" he kept slumping over the wheel, momentarily passing out... even at 5-10kmph couldn't avoid wandering completely into the opposing lane. Just deadly. Have never seen it this bad anywhere in India, yet have never heard of any challlans or arrests for this obviously serious offense.

Appearances can be very superficial. It's much better and less stressful driving here than central North India... but there are things that are very retrograde as well.

To some extent, people are people.

-Eric