Traffic sense of Hyderabadis

by **bornhyderabadi** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 7:18 pm

I am sorry to say this, but traffic sense of Hyderabadis is very very poor. There is absolutely no respect for the rules.

by **bornhyderabadi** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 7:38 pm

And, I am not saying this without a reason. The other day I was travelling on the Secunderabad road, and at an intersection I saw the red signal from a distance. No one was stopping for the signal. That\'s one part, but what\'s worse is that when I stopped at the signal, a bus driver from behind honked at me and others followed. That\'s really shocking - I stopped at a red signal and was honked at. And the guy was even yelling as though I was commiting some crime. And as usual the cop was absent where it mattered. I say where it mattered b\'cos this is a very important junction in Secunderabad that I am talking about.
 
I have been born and brought up in Hyderabad and love this place more than any other in the world, but I am extremly sorry to say that there is absolutely no traffic sense here.

by **Oracle - Oh-not that one!!** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 9:24 pm

Boy... I do have some company here :-)

There are 7 and a half guys in AP that follow traffic rules. That doesn\'t include the DG-Traffic, The Governor or Babu Garu.
 
This is an outcome when null-witted, spitton-headed politicians elected by thick and grøss citizens happen to work in tandem with uninspiring, brain-dead bureaucrats.
 
You must have a look at the faces and the resumes of MPs, MLAs, ZP chairmans et al. There is a very thin possibility that these folks will steer us anywhere closer to our dream of dignified living.
 
Get into politics folks! Software rev is out. Do make money, but remember to give it back to the society.
 
\'nuf said...

by **Mayavi Morpheus** » Sat Aug 23, 2003 2:21 am

Who is to blame?
 
The MVI\'s whos issue licences?
 
The agencies who do not teach the basic traffic rules?
 
Or the people themselves who are so impatient that they don\'t stop even at the stop sign?

by **bornhyderabadi** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 1:36 pm

This is no blame game, so there\'s no point blaming anyone. One must inculcate this habit (to follow traffic rules) at a very early age. You see lots of traffic violations taking place in the presence of youngsters who take it for granted that it\'s okay to do it. So, as grown-ups we need to set an example and be more careful when we have kids around so that we impart proper values as well as safeguard their lives.

by **An concerned man** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 3:35 am

I completely agree that the traffice sense of people out here sucks. Leave the illiterate, but even the educated and the so-called civilised people also never bother to follow the rules. Everyone is hell bent on breaking the rules. I get scared when I drive my vehicle on these roads. The worst part is that the rules are broken infront of the traffice police who never mind, leave alone penalising that person.
 
 
Some action has to be taken which would help in getting the traffic on the roads to follow some rules.

by **bornhyderabadi** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 1:49 pm

The police is only concerned about documents like licence, RC book, insurance... Any time I see police catching a person, it is for want of one of these documents or the latest mantra - polution check. What is the use of having all these documents if you cannot follow simple rules? With new bikes around most of these people have all these documents but it never makes them good drivers.
 
Police must catch violators of traffic rules rather than going after documents.

by **IHateThisTraffic** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:57 pm

So are you teaching your children good traffic sense? It has to start at childhood!

by **Mani** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 11:02 pm

I was reading an article the other day. It said that if a person has 3 traffic violations against him, his license would be cancelled. I read further and found that all the transport ministers have decided to implement this. I became more and more curioser and found that this was the case in India. I burst out laughing and rolling on the floor. How many people have driving licenses in India? So as long as people can do this, there will be no traffic sense and we will get honked by all and sundry if we stopped at the red light.

by **Ramesh.** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 11:05 pm

I think it\'s a problem faced by almost all the cities and not Hyderabad in particular. Of course, Hyderabad is a little bit ahead in this regard. But other cities are also no good.

by **Vasu from Muscat** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 1:20 pm

I am from hyderabad working in Oman-Muscat i got car driving license after giving the fifth driving test i have spend around 45,000/- Rupees to get the driving license in Oman and 4 months of time. Here Driving teachers will teaches each and every rule of driving and the police will never pass you until you drive perfectly following the rule. People will say that Oman is the country, which is following the strict traffic rules.

As per the accident rating on paper Oman is the country witch has worlds maximum accidences.

As compared to other parts My Hyderabad is safe driving place. I agree that people will not follow traffic rules. But people drive with Consciousness and with safety precautions. But this some time it fails. Yes people drive at Red signals but they are very safe if traffic movement is not there then only they drive. We can get the license even with out appearing the test also. If Hyderabad people follows the traffic rules the accidents rate will be fall down. I thing the system of giving license should be tighten, the traffic police should work strictly then only there traffic issues will be minimized or solved.[b][/b]

by **Srinu** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:23 pm

So many suggestions, but not very pragmatic. Strict licensing is no panacea for the traffic problems we have. In fact it may end up as another tool in the hands of those RT inspectors to charge a hefty bribe citing one reason or the other. And as someone said, same is the case in other cities as well. I know a colleague in hyd who was always cribbing abt hyd traffic (he was originally from nagpur). Now that he moved to blore (so did I) I hear him saying the hyd traffic was much better. Guess if he moves back to hyd he will start cribbing abt hyd again. The only solution is to stand up for what you believe. If you believe you r right by stopping at the red light, stand up for it and accept no nonsense from others. Similarly try to pass on some good sense to the younger generation, be it your son or your brother. Breaking a rule in front of the younger one will actually set a bad precedent. And finally, when on the road, believe in the power of prayer... :wink:

by **Asli_badmash** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 11:01 pm

Yes I know HYD traffic is unruly...

But hey look at the upside... You become so good at driving you can drive anywhere in the world.

Also, The adrenaline keeps you alive. Woohoo... I remeber the good time... Weaving in and out of opposite lanes.. avoiding that stray Cow that omnipresent mongrel or that absent minded goat. ( Reminds me of Captain Haddock.. he calls Prof. Calculus an absent minded goat in one of the episodes :lol:

)

Body language - You learn to look at body language and try to guess if a person standing on one side of the road is about to run and jump in front of your vehical... Badmash reminds hyderabadi's of the word Jhalak... which refers to the action of people tentatively taking a step forward to cross the street and then stepping back..

which makes you apply your brakes or curse at them...

(@#$%^&*)

COPS and Dames - You learn to avoid the cops too. The so called most bevevolent of the lot. You learn to spot the cop ambushes. Even if you have all the documents they go like Saab Chai paani ke paise... :shock:

All this while you try to make it some place in the short ammount of time you allocate for driving to work or school, while checking out the beautiful dame's on the street. :wink:

In other words... You become aware of your surroundings.. Its more of a YOGIC experience. You must have heard or read.. Be aware of what you are doing and where you are at all time. If you are walking be aware, if you are talking be aware, if you are driving be aware. ( A la MATRIX kind of simulation room...)

My point being; Hyderabad traffic is bad but in Hyderabad drivers you will find

- people with sophisticated traffic rule(s)

- Yogis (people who are aware of that stray dogs intentions in the corner of the road)

- an intelligent mind that can take complex desciosn based on the time of the day and the number of people on the road and skirt around the rules...

you have to give it to them... Hyderabadis are unique... We can spot one by the way they drive. :lol:

But honestly we need to fix this problem... I guess more public transport. A rail system around the city. Tougher rules and common people taking up the good cause will help.

PS: Get Uzma and Lata and their cricket team involved in this. See my other post on burkha-wali and bottu-wali issue...

by **CtrlAltDel** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 3:04 pm

Someone forwarded me the following article...a very funny one!

-----------------------------------------------------

For the benefit of every Tom, _ and Harry visiting Hyderabad and daring to drive on the roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except the State of Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.

Hyderabad road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows:

Do we drive on the left or right of the road? The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess.

Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality.

Most drivers don’t drive, but just aim their vehicles in the intended direction.

Don’t you get discouraged or underestimate yourself. Except for a belief in reincarnation, the other drivers are not in any better position.

Don’t stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back. Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or had come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. Hyderabadies horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and lust (two brisk blasts), or, to just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the road.

Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister’s motorcade, or waiting for the rainwaters to recede when overground traffic meets underground drainage.

Night driving on the roads can be an exhilarating experience (for those with the mental makeup of Genghis Khan). In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a bus attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the side of the road until the phenomenon passes. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the bus is the driver.

Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously.

During the daytime, trucks are more visible, except that the drivers will never show any Signal. (And you must watch for the absent signals; they are a greater threat.) Only, you will often observe that the cleaner that sits next to the driver, will project his hand and wave hysterically. This is definitely not to be construed as a signal for a left turn. The waving is just an expression of physical relief on a hot day.

Occasionally you might see what looks like an UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.

You need only three safety devices on the roads: Good Brakes, Good Horn and Good Luck.

Some features of Hyderabad traffic:

Auto Rickshaw

the result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and some unknown hydrocarbon. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton’s laws of motion en route to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.

Mopeds

The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Tower of Passes

Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers seem to get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kilogram of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.

one-way Street

These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don’t stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type.

Lest I sound hyper-critical, I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

If, after all this, you still want to drive in Hyderabad, have your lessons between 8 pm and 11 am-when the police have gone home.

The citizen is then free to enjoy the ‘FREEDOM OF SPEED’ enshrined in the constitution.

by **Fiddler** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 3:57 pm

LOL Ctrl Bhai, that was a funny one alright!

That's good ol' Hyderabadi traffic for you. But I've found that, no matter how heartily I curse the autos, buses and sundry other unidentifiable vehicles on our roads, it's extremely difficult to get used to the trafic culture of any other city if you're used to this one. Hyderabadi traffic forever! Maybe it's just me...

One thing I've noticed, though, is that Hyderabadis are increasingly ignoring traffic signals. I used to rpide myself on the fact that people here wouldn't run red lights no matter what but, sadly, that's changed. Awareness ir required.

Hey, has anyone ever noticed: even though Hyderabadis are laid back and invariably arrive 30 mins late for an appointment saying 'Kya to bhi hai, yaaro...', they turn into people who're suddenly in a tearing hurry the minute they're on the road? An eternal mystery...

by **Asli_badmash** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 8:58 pm

Very Funny CtrlAltDel :lol:

A true picture of the surreal life in H-Town.

This just proves it truth can be funny!

by **Girl_just_browsing** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 10:13 pm

Traffic sense, or the lack of it in Hyderabad. Reams have been written on it and I'll add my 2 lines.

I totally identify with the 'stop-at-a-signal-and-u-r-honked-at' syndrome. I've noticed this especially at the signal before the Intergraph building at Begumpet. Yeah I pray too while riding. (the significance of the line has a much deeper meaning for someone who's had quite a few narrow scrapes).

And yes, if each of us follows rules, the roads will be safer.

by **CtrlAltDel** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 11:17 pm

Girl_just_browsing wrote:I totally identify with the 'stop-at-a-signal-and-u-r-honked-at' syndrome. I've noticed this especially at the signal before the Intergraph building at Begumpet.

Ya..i know...i pass thru that place daily twice. but i react differently at this place as well as at any signal in town:

I position my car in such a way that its difficult for big vehicles to overtake me. Then i take sadistic pleasure in waiting for the lights to turn green! while the poor sods behind me honk in frustration, i pump up the volume on my stereo.

The instant the light turns green, i wait just for a couple of more seconds to frustrate them and then i am off like a shot!

I use it in great effect when i am coming from from Ministers Road towards this signal. Usually motorists take it as a divine right at this point to ignore the Red signal and stand near the roundabout: thereby blocking traffic taking a U-turn. I usually block the road infront of a SUV or a bus and wait patiently for the lights to turn Green!

by **Mayavi Morpheus** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 1:40 am

Someone forwarded me the following article...a very funny one!

I remember reading this article somewhere and forwarding it to few of my friends. Now where did I read this article? hmmmm.....lemme try to recollect. FullHyderabad itself! I think thats how I stumbled on this site. May be i am just imagining things. Can the mods clarify? Did they ever host the above article on FH?

Added later:

Nah, its a different article. This one is not hosted on FH.

by **Arch** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 8:06 pm

A GRT one Ctrl. bhai.. wow ! Hilarious and is so 'nostalgic' too to be reading abt' hyd traffic .. and I intened sending copies of this to all my friends who wud feel the same

I too remember reading this, Mayavi.. yet made a fun-read again, nai?

more so when we are away from hyd..

Fiddler/ctrl. this was so a way earlier too : i-dont-stop-on-red-and-when-a-lunatic-stops-i-honk-his-wits-out syndrome... you guys can try this out..

and this happened in bangalore, to my surprise.. an auto hit another vehicle and they both started fighting.. in the middle of the road.. in the morning rush hour !!

I was right behind it, was in a grt. hurry.. and started honking.

They were not able to hear themselves so they increased their pitches.. I increased mine.. 'how dare you take away our right to fight in the middle of the road' looks were thrown at me inspite of the depth of their involvement..

I stuck to my new responsibility of clearing the road and few of the daring chipped in, laughing.. ..

Lo ! they did take the fight to the side of the road alright !

by **Future Thinking** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 11:09 am

I believe the HYD people don’t know how 2 use USED Traffic Signal. No one use it properly. All r stop there Vehicles r some times Middle of the road. And traffic Poleis did not brother about this mater. I hop they also don’t know the rule properly.

I believe if Traffic Poleis r educate about there duty and rule, May be we can solved this problem. But Not in 1 day, It will take time. U have 2 take very tuff Decision about this mater.

by **Future Thinking** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 11:10 am

I believe the HYD people don’t know how 2 use USED Traffic Signal. No one use it properly. All r stop there Vehicles r some times Middle of the road. And traffic Poleis did not brother about this mater. I hop they also don’t know the rule properly.

I believe if Traffic Poleis r educate about there duty and rule, May be we can solved this problem. But Not in 1 day, It will take time. U have 2 take very tuff Decision about this mater.

by **GOD ONLY saves this HYDERABD** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 11:55 am

I Appreciate this heavy discussion, GOD ONLY saves this HYDERABD

by **JustaLittleUnwell** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 7:27 pm

These days we have timers installed at many signals which show how many seconds are left before the signal would change color (from red-to-green or vice versa). When it was introduced, I felt very happy that we have a solution at last for the perennial traffic jam problem originating at the signals. Now the road users have a precise method of determining when to stop / start their vehicles, I thought.

But looking at the situation prevailing in Punjagutta circle(which has such timers), I'm amazed. Even after you have a green signal, you have a dozen vehicles cutting across, or worse, stopping in the middle of the junction, causing a 4-way block. This when they know that their time is up for crossing the signal. There's only one explanation - Hyderabadis are illiterate and cant read numbers. And probably they also have color blindness and can't distinguish between red and green.

Another 'great' Hyderabadi trait especially among the 4-wheeler owners - even if their car gets a slight bump from a vehicle from behind, they would stop their massive 4-wheeler right in the middle of the road - the traffic behind them can go to hell - they need to 'inspect' first if their prized possession suffered any scratch or not. Long live the 'white collar executive' and his 'i-give-a-damn' attitude to society.

by **Hyderabadi** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:57 pm

Oh yeah, the timer at the signals! Ppl still jump signals. Innovation hasn't really had 'traffic-stopping' results!

Traffic sense of Hyderabadis