[download2live]

Originally Posted by sabynag

Right-hand side is less dangerous in Indian conditions. In left-hand side, one needs negotiate through parked vehicles, mobile street vendors, Indians, and most importantly traffic from opposite direction. Right-hand side is relatively free from all these hazards.
When in car, think of all the reasons why you tend to avoid left-hand side. A cyclist's reasons are no different.

I feel otherwise. Parked vehicles, vendors etc cannot hit and kill a person.
The fast vehicles on the other hand can easily knock a cyclist down.

I am talking of the roads with dividers in between them and cyclists pedaling away madly sticking to the right hand side, just next to divider.

[sabynag]

Originally Posted by download2live

I feel otherwise. Parked vehicles, vendors etc cannot hit and kill a person.
The fast vehicles on the other hand can easily knock a cyclist down.

I am talking of the roads with dividers in between them and cyclists pedaling away madly sticking to the right hand side, just next to divider.

I am also refering to similar roads (with divider in between) and I repeat - a cyclist's considerations for choosing to ride on the RHS is no different than that of a motorist.

In India, safety concerns never get priority. Indian thinking is survival-driven and only those safety aspects that seriously matter to survival are factored into decision making. Look around and you will see billions of examples of this value at play every day. In India, for generations, insurance products (an expense for financial safety) have been sold as investment products (an investment for financial survival). You will notice that many insurance companies campaign like this - "Your car is insured. What about you ?" While they play the emotional card, they also know that you bought car insurance because the law forced you to do so. For your life, there was no such law enforcement.

How many motorists in India will put seat-belt on if not mandated by law ?
How many bikers will wear helmet if not mandated by law ?

These are all self-safety measures but most people don't follow them until the law converts these safety measures into survival measures (you pay fine for not following it, thereby compromising with your means of survival).

[niranjanrvce]

Originally Posted by sabynag

I am also refering to similar roads (with divider in between) and I repeat - a cyclist's considerations for choosing to ride on the RHS is no different than that of a motorist.

In India, safety concerns never get priority. Indian thinking is survival-driven and only those safety aspects that seriously matter to survival are factored into decision making.

I don't buy this. A cyclist cycling on the rightmost lane on a highway is not seriously risking his own life? You have to be kidding me. Ever been on a fast curve which looked empty only to spot a cyclist riding away blissfully on the middle/right most lane of what is supposed to be a highway?

There are many such idiots on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, NH4 etc. If the approaching driver does not slow down/ is not alert enough/ is unable to brake in time/ skids on hard braking etc., these cyclists will be in grave danger. Many a times the plants/growth on the divider hides them as well. If this is not a serious enough safety risk, I don't know what is.

Cyclists should stick to the left lane - and not leave themselves to the mercy of other vehicles.

[sabynag]

Originally Posted by niranjanrvce

I don't buy this. A cyclist cycling on the rightmost lane on a highway is not seriously risking his own life? You have to be kidding me. Ever been on a fast curve which looked empty only to spot a cyclist riding away blissfully on the middle/right most lane of what is supposed to be a highway?

There are many such idiots on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, NH4 etc. If the approaching driver does not slow down/ is not alert enough/ is unable to brake in time/ skids on hard braking etc., these cyclists will be in grave danger. Many a times the plants/growth on the divider hides them as well. If this is not a serious enough safety risk, I don't know what is.

Cyclists should stick to the left lane - and not leave themselves to the mercy of other vehicles.

Risk is perception driven. In any developed country, the above situations are considered highly risky. But India is different. I bet, in more than 9 out of 10 such situations, the motorists are more scared of an accident than the cyclists and hence motorists do everything to avoid such a collission. The cyclists know it and hence their perception of risk is significantly lower.

The "should" list in India can go endless, but how many of them will translate into "would" ? India would have been a different country then.

[sudharma]

New Public money wasting project in Namma Bengalooru by Babus & Nethas. See the attached pictures taken along Sanjaynagar Main road, which are self explanatory. This is only as a sample.
These have eaten away whatever little parking space available on the Sanjaynagar main road and reduced the available footpath space . Now parking has become angular instead of previously parallel to the road parking.
What a Great Idea Sirji !!!!!!!!.

[sam_boy]

Originally Posted by niranjanrvce

I don't buy this. A cyclist cycling on the rightmost lane on a highway is not seriously risking his own life? You have to be kidding me. Ever been on a fast curve which looked empty only to spot a cyclist riding away blissfully on the middle/right most lane of what is supposed to be a highway?

There are many such idiots on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, NH4 etc. If the approaching driver does not slow down/ is not alert enough/ is unable to brake in time/ skids on hard braking etc., these cyclists will be in grave danger. Many a times the plants/growth on the divider hides them as well. If this is not a serious enough safety risk, I don't know what is.

Cyclists should stick to the left lane - and not leave themselves to the mercy of other vehicles.

Did not see a +100 button to click, anyways I mean it.

I drive 12 Km cycle everyday and I follow the thumb rule to stay to the left. Reason is simple, right lane is the fast lane and I cant take my cycle in the required speed. Being a newbie in cycling, I always feel safer on the left side of the road and never had any problems (Touch wood)

[IronH4WK]

did anybody mention cyclist on the RHS of the road? here's one i found today on the Silk board flyover



this kid was riding on the left, but as i was climbing the flyover, switched lanes to the right, which i'm guessing he did so he could go over the divider at the base of the flyover.

either ways, that is a very dangerous place to be.

[libranof1987]

Convenient parking spot above the Jayanagar Underpass (next to Hotel Nandhini)



This "educated" person parked his car right on the road while he was busy getting vada pav packed at Goli, BTM 2nd Stage. When I told him that his vehicle was in the middle of the road and obstructing an entire lane, he said "hasn't caused a problem as yet, so it should be fine". I just gave him an extremely disapproving look and went on with my business. One of those times when I feel common sense and road sense should be as important as money while buying a vehicle.

[rishie]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Convenient parking spot above the Jayanagar Underpass (next to Hotel Nandhini)

Attachment 546304

This "educated" person parked his car right on the road while he was busy getting vada pav packed at Goli, BTM 2nd Stage. When I told him that his vehicle was in the middle of the road and obstructing an entire lane, he said "hasn't caused a problem as yet, so it should be fine". I just gave him an extremely disapproving look and went on with my business. One of those times when I feel common sense and road sense should be as important as money while buying a vehicle.

Attachment 546305

Attachment 546306

Isn't that JP Nagar outer ringroad underpass, near Nandhini?

This is a common scene at BTM 2nd stage, especially people coming on the wrong lane keeping their high beams on. Also, the roadside fruit vendors keep the parking slots occupied even when there is a traffic cop beside them, absolutely taking no action about them.

[Spitfire]

Guys, put these pictures up on the Facebook page of Bangalore Traffic Police.

Take pictures in such a way that the offense is very clear.

Make a note of the time, place and vehicle number when you post it.

[srishiva]

Yesterday I was turning right onto a road. I switch on my indicator and as usual I take the turn from left of intersection to get on to the left side of the 90 degree road. I see a elderly man turning right on to the road that I am. Like its usual with most people he keeps to the right side of the road.

I go and stop him and ask him if he cant take the turn by being on the left most part. He said he had the indicator on to turn right and thought I would be coming to right so he took the right side. I asked him if thats the way people turn and he asked me learn the rules.

I see a lot of people who keep right if turning right. These people think thats the way to turn onto a road. Its not ignorance or breaking the rule. They think thats the rule.

[Guna]

Recently I was re-entering Bangalore on NH4 after a trip. After Nelamangala, there are these newly constructed flyovers which take to right till Yashavanthpur by skipping several bottlenecks on the regular road underneath.

We were about 1 km on to the flyover and we saw many motorists hesitantly slowing down, stopping, some even trying to take a turn and come back. For a moment it looked like as if the road would have ended or some terrible accident would have blocked the road which is forcing these vehicles to turn back. It was totally chaotic with even trucks and buses trying to reverse on the flyover and head back in the wrong direction.

I asked one of the cab gays who was returning about the reason and he said he is not sure but there seems to be a traffic jam ahead. So, many of these guys did not even know why they are turning back.

We decided to go ahead anyway. We could see vehicles piled up for some distance but they were also slowly moving. Then we realized it was actually a toll booth which was acting like a bottleneck. The booth with some 5-6 counters was not able to cope with the traffic flow. Even with all this, we could get past the toll booth in 15-20 minutes.

They must have thought about better facilities but more frustrating thing was to see how people get impatient even at a slightest hint of getting stuck and they go to any extent like reversing right on a flyover and driving on wrong direction for kilometers causing more traffic jams.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Guna

They must have thought about better facilities but more frustrating thing was to see how people get impatient even at a slightest hint of getting stuck and they go to any extent like reversing right on a flyover and driving on wrong direction for kilometers causing more traffic jams.

Yeah I think this is a typical Bangalore thing. I see it every time i am at the Dairy Circle underpass around 6:15PM. That's when traffic from Accenture and Oracle comes onto the road and slows the traffic by a bit. Often there will be cabs and autos reversing or just turning around on the divided road.

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by Guna

We were about 1 km on to the flyover and we saw many motorists hesitantly slowing down, stopping, some even trying to take a turn and come back. For a moment it looked like as if the road would have ended or some terrible accident would have blocked the road which is forcing these vehicles to turn back. It was totally chaotic with even trucks and buses trying to reverse on the flyover and head back in the wrong direction.

I asked one of the cab gays who was returning about the reason and he said he is not sure but there seems to be a traffic jam ahead. So, many of these guys did not even know why they are turning back.

I faced the same thing today morning around 7 am. I was about to join the tolled road from the service road when I see huge multi axle trucks, indicas, sumos and the like all turning back and jamming the narrow entry point to the toll road.

I did not see much traffic ahead on the service road and took it till the Commercial Taxes Check post further ahead where there is another entry point with a toll booth (2 counters). This toll booth was nearly empty (even though it was near the check post) and luckily I could pay toll and rejoin the main road where there was relatively very less traffic (traffic was held up at the main toll plaza). When I was passing by the main toll plaza I saw a huge pileup of vehicles.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Guna

I asked one of the cab gays who was returning about the reason and he said he is not sure but there seems to be a traffic jam ahead. So, many of these guys did not even know why they are turning back.

They must have thought about better facilities but more frustrating thing was to see how people get impatient even at a slightest hint of getting stuck and they go to any extent like reversing right on a flyover and driving on wrong direction for kilometers causing more traffic jams.

Originally Posted by amitoj

Yeah I think this is a typical Bangalore thing. I see it every time i am at the Dairy Circle underpass around 6:15PM. That's when traffic from Accenture and Oracle comes onto the road and slows the traffic by a bit. Often there will be cabs and autos reversing or just turning around on the divided road.

Try driving on ORR every evening; it is even more frustrating.

Near Ecospace, there is a flyover coming up so only 1 lane is operational. There is also a service lane but the entry into it is about 500m before the road becomes 1-lane. So, all the wise nuts who are happily speeding on the ORR, realize only too late that there is a huge bottleneck at the flyover construction. So, you'll find drivers of humble Indicas, pricey private sedans to even mini-buses taking a U-turn (!) on that road, coming back and then entering the service lane; only to make a bigger mess there.

I guess Airtel shouldn't have come up with the "Impatience is the new thing" promo!