[dr.jjp]

I feel the trivandrum traffic is getting worse day by day . I currently live near Phase III technopark and travel to Palayam for my work.

First of all there is a huge increase in number of motorists in city especially in the past 1-2 years and our roads are not developing in a way to accommodate that amount of vehicles
Everyday there will be a huge traffic at Pettah junction which sometimes extends upto chaka especially at night especially on weekends ( one reason is ongoing works , but I don't feel ongoing works is not the only reason) and the same is about the traffic at chakka jun which sometimes extends upto pettah jn ( now this traffic has reduced and is there only on weekends) . Another spot is near Akkulam .

My hometown is at Parassala and everyone who travels in karamana - Kaliyikkavilai strech knows the infamous Balaramapuram traffic. Thank God that the kazhakottam -Karood strech is now open it cuts the travel time by a huge margin though you have to pay a toll which I feel is very much as per the recent increase ( most of the frequent travellers know how to avoid toll

Now saying about the traffic manners .

1. KSRTC buses , I feel they are the ones who drives most rashly and unnecessary honking. They won't stop at bus bays when available.

2. Auto drivers . Tvm has the worst auto drivers , they make their own way in traffic and expect them to cut you from anywhere anytime.

3. Two wheelers . They brush their legs and bags to the bumpers while trying to cut you off in traffic. Have a bit of small scratches due to them in my car .

4. Lane discipline; No one seems to follow it , the heavy vehicles will always occupy the right track , a lot of car drivers will stick to speeds less than 60 and be on the right lane . And there are a few 'ammavan and chechis ' on two wheelers who will ride on the center of right lane only .

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by epiccross

I drive as sedately as possible, especially when there's traffic - I don't weave in and out of traffic.

You may want to reconsider that. Drive unpredictably like a maniac and people will keep a respectful distance.

If you are going to insist on driving sedately, You're painting a giant "overtake me" sign on your back. If you accept that, then, to make things painless for both you and the rest of us maniacs, keep to the left as much as possible, and leave a car length in front for folks to overtake you without any scrapes etc - this is what i do when I drive my Etios. Its very new to me, has minimal scratches, and next to no power to indulge my maniacal urges.

People seem to always be in a hurry (for what god knows). I like to imagine some of them may need to answer the call of nature urgently. You never know. As much as our PM and CM builds high quality public toilets, there are some who will insist on using their own ones at home, no matter where they are for reasons best known to them.

[epiccross]

Originally Posted by dr.jjp

I feel the trivandrum traffic is getting worse day by day . I currently live near Phase III technopark and travel to Palayam for my work.

Thank you! I felt I was perhaps imagining stuff after reading most of the responses. Good to know it's not just me. This is more in line with whatever I've experienced. Yet to get my car here, but this is what I've observed. Kazhakkoottam - Thycaud is the route I may have to take now and then (which I guess is practically same as yours). Thanks for the heads up regarding what all is to be expected, traffic wise

Originally Posted by greenhorn

You may want to reconsider that. Drive unpredictably like a maniac and people will keep a respectful distance.

If you are going to insist on driving sedately, You're painting a giant "overtake me" sign on your back. If you accept that, then, to make things painless for both you and the rest of us maniacs, keep to the left as much as possible, and leave a car length in front for folks to overtake you without any scrapes etc - this is what i do when I drive my Etios.

LOL. I generally prefer to not do aggressive overtakes etc. - I mean weaving in and out of traffic, considering the driving here, and defensive driving don't really go hand in hand. I prefer leaving distance and driving sedately as much as possible for this. And of course I try to stay to the left as much as possible, and that's what I intend to do as well.

[greenhorn]

Another recommendation. Keep to the left at intersections and roundabouts. The most hits and scrapes I've gotten is from bikers who will take the
Left lane even when they want to turn right. And when the light turns green, someone will inevitably turn right into the front of your car. Regardless of which way you want to go, any movement will have a high risk of hitting these "bus drivers" on scooters (because how else do you explain a two wheeler rider who needs a wide angle turn?) Either wait until the autos and two wheelers are gone, or stick to the left most lanes and pray no one on your left, waiting so close they can lean on your hood, is going to turn right just in front of you just when you decide to move. This happens at roundabouts too, like kesavadasapuram

[VwRabbit]

From my experience driving in the cities that are highlighted in the replies TVM roads are way better than Kochi with Bangalore being the worst add to that no sense of even basic driving etiquette whatsoever .

When it comes to Autorickshaws like flies they are the curse of our roads, Bangalore tops it’s out followed by TVM and then Kochi with 2 wheelers/private buses being the main problem creators at Ernakulam where bikes mostly youngsters carrying triples at night, no helmets nor rear brake lights even no license plates will cut you off from nowhere . At Kochi i have had multiple instances in which a scooter or bike rams into the rear of my car either due to showing off cutting traffic and then panic braking locking the front wheels or zero road consciousness, anyways in case of a mishap I always try to keep calm and try not to escalate the situation especially at TVM because not only post covid even before (but things are seem to be getting worse now everywhere) i have observed that violence can be triggered even for the slightest issue.

And the best bet as others have mentioned is to get a beater car for inter city travels, but then again unlike a new car an old one might need more tlc other wise can lead to a breakdown in the middle of rush hour making things worse.

[RGK]

My two cents..

Today's bus, cab and auto cab drivers in KL drive like maniacs and are the same as those in any other state.

I've always believed that Keralites are the most skilled drivers since they have a flawless understanding of the width of their vehicles, but due to the enormous growth in the number of vehicles on the road, their driving has unluckily gotten worse.

Driving in KL necessitates extreme caution. Usually I used to enjoy the twisted scenic roads and now it is the not the case. TVM won't be any different, in my opinion.

[--gKrish--]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I am not sure this will work in Trivandrum. In TN maybe, but I have not seen any such flags at all in Trivandrum. My experience, people I know high up enough tend to find themselves in government/LSG posts or bodies and consequently they get red "Kerala State/XYZ body/Member of XYZ org" plates which are illegal I believe to fake.

I have seen some "very" rashly driven autos having these symbols. Yesterday, an imbecile in an auto who wanted to turn right at a junction positioned himself in the leftmost lane and cut me off and took a u turn proudly bearing the said symbol on all 4 sides. I could be wrong but I have felt that it is definitely not money nor their vehicle's capability that gives them the entitlement to drive as if roads are their ancestral property.

Sometime before covid, I happened to get a white Etios as my uber ride. It had the typical ham antenna and the covered flagpole on the hood. When I casually asked the driver whether the antenna was functional, he said that he installed it and the flagpole only to make the car look like the contract vehicles that run for Govt. As per his words 'it makes things easier on the road especially with traffic police/wardens'. I don't know if it helps him but he was an inconsiderate driver unlike most other Uber cabs I've seen in Trivandrum.

Regarding OPs query, I think it is still easier to drive in Trivandrum than most others cities. However, from my experience, being too nice can lead to more trouble and frustration here. Just be aware of the surroundings and keep only necessary distance at low speeds to avoid getting cut off. My policy is to leave more than enough space to allow others to pass through comfortably or leave no space at all.

[d.w.w.]

Originally Posted by arunchandran

Then there are novice drivers who sit on top of the steering wheel and crawl on the road disrupting the free flow of traffic.

Originally Posted by dr.jjp

And there are a few 'ammavan and chechis ' on two wheelers who will ride on the center of right lane only .

To me, these are the biggest problems while driving in TVM. Here every Tom, Dick and Harry has a DL and two wheeler and they take their vehicles on road just to cause inconvenience to others. Honking has no effect on them and they just continue to ride as if they are pros.

[pramodkumar]

I drive a e class in trivandrum, before that drove a cruze and before that a lancer. In my 15 years of driving in the city and suburbs i have never been in a fender bender, Bikers yes, never seen an auto drive rash apart from the u turns they take anywhere on planet earth.

I am not trying to jinx myself but i have driven in other cities like, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. I would say I am less comfortable driving in these cities than in trivandrum. People follow rules in trivandrum to a great extent compared to the other cities i mentioned, Autos and other commercial vehicles are subjected to yearly re tests in Kerala, i have not seen that happen anywhere.

In my recent drive from Mysore(started post 10 PM) to Bangalore 90% of trucks had non working rear lights and 100% of truckers were missing the rear crash bar. i saw multiple(10-15) private vehicles with no number plates going at insane speeds.

According to NCB Kerala has the highest road rage cases, Have you ever seen anyone throwing punches on the road? These cases are because people follow rules and lodge a case if there is a fender bender.

Be rest assured if you feel traffic in trivandrum is crazy you have not seen even 1% crazy yet.

Pramod

[sarathlal]

To answer the opening post, sure no problem at all, it's totally worth enjoying driving around Trivandrum city roads. Most of the city roads are well laid and planned. No unscientific bumps, well placed signboards, working signal lights, mostly clean roads, good road markings etc. (Someone is slowly destroying this in the name of safety by putting insane rumble strips and deadly cat eye reflectors scattered all over the road though! )

On the flip side, there are right lane hoggers, those who violate one way at junctions, insensible ones jumping lane and blocking entire traffic, autos being autos, some neglected roads, digging up of freshly laid roads etc. But these fellas or issues are not region specific; they show their natural 'global' trait everywhere.
(Also, empathise the plight of commuters at traffic hotspots like Eenchakkal, Balaramapuram etc)

Overall, I love driving through city roads all these years and never felt otherwise till date. In fact, if you take your car and go for a spin early morning before traffic sets in, it’s still blissful. Internal city roads will give you serenity (Vellayambalam Kowdiar road for eg), while a bypass drive lets you stretch your cars legs and puts that smile back while doing so






Picture courtesy - Respective owners

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by epiccross

Seeing all this is making me wonder - what on earth does one do to stay safe? Is it even worth taking your car out? All this is making me doubly anxious to drive in TVM city

Sorry to hear this, but Trivandrum is my native and I have been driving since last 20 plus years (even now every month I visit) and trust me it is one of the better cities to drive any day. Yes parking has become a pain in recent years, and traffic on certain routes at certain hours can be bad. Still would rate it as one of the fastest cities to commute, if you know the roads or even if you have faith in google

[epiccross]

Thanks everyone The rant, as I said, was owing to me having scary encounters in autos in almost all trips. Reminded me of the trauma I encountered when I was staying in Blore from the auto folks. And I only had a few such experiences from Trivandrum when I used to stay here. But all of your (esp. the good folks from TVM) has helped calm my nerves a lot

[DrZhivago]

I understand your feeling but I mostly honed my Indian driving skill in Kochi and compared to that Trivandum is pretty decent. I stay mostly in Trivandrum and I find the roads bigger and the only are that has congested roads in the city is Manacaud and even that's somewhat better than North Janatha Road Kochi. In Kochi I prefer taking Uber or uber auto and it works out for me. Most of the auto guys I have called upon in Trivandrum were sane but there were some who were maniacs like you mentioned.

A beater car is your best option when you are driving in any Indian city if you are just nervous about driving. And lastly there is this talk of Trivandum getting metro and I am aghast because better roads and better KSRTC services can easily solve the problems in Trivandrum for atleast the next 50 years. The issue is once metro works start it's going to take years and the delays will make the city a hell and then when it opens it will be on the wrong routes and then they will finally understand the routes needed and they will start phase two and it's again going to be delayed. Kochi is an example of how not to get a metro done because every other day there are huge traffic jams at multiple places. God Speed

[mallumowgli]

Surprised to see a thread ranting on the traffic sense in Trivandrum - by far the best city to drive in Kerala. I always tease my wife, who is from Trivandrum, saying that her city guys have a sleepy driving style. And also you guys do not have to deal with private buses like Kochi or Kozhikkode. Even ignoring the private buses, the private vehicles have a discipline that is lacking in the other towns and cities, though it has worsened over the years

The only problem I face is that the city roads go round and round in circles and if you dont know the way you may end up where you started

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by DrZhivago

And lastly there is this talk of Trivandum getting metro and I am aghast because better roads and better KSRTC services can easily solve the problems in Trivandrum for atleast the next 50 years. The issue is once metro works start it's going to take years and the delays will make the city a hell and then when it opens it will be on the wrong routes and then they will finally understand the routes needed and they will start phase two and it's again going to be delayed. Kochi is an example of how not to get a metro done because every other day there are huge traffic jams at multiple places. God Speed

Terribly offtopic, but had to chip in.

Having seen Chennai and Bengaluru during the metro construction phase, and my whole two years spend in Kochi suffering from the metro construction effects, I would say it is like the board they put up during construction, "Bear with us for a better tomorrow". Almost half a decade/a decade will be lost suffering from the construction, but the metro is much needed. Vizhinjam Port is coming up and with the expected growth trajectory, we really don't want to end up with our usual Indian city development saga. The current two planned lines have heavy linear traffic and are much needed. 50 years? The Metro Man had rejected a metro proposal for Tvpm in the late 2000s citing low population and the hilly nature of the city. It barely took a decade for the metro proposal to be taken up seriously again.