No Traffic rules obeyed in many parts of India.
India is the most populated country of the globe in not only people but also in animals and the vehicles. The Indian roads throughout the country are found busy with cycles, motor-bikes, three wheelers, Rikhsas, small cars, trucks-light and heavy buses government and private, tractors farming and earth movers and heavy trailers. Apart from all those engine operated vehicles, there are manual Rikhsas, bullock carts, donkey driven carts, horse driven and camel driven vehicles and men driven carts. All those are common in most of the towns of India. Some of the cities like Calcutta have also trams running on the roads adjustant to other vehicles.
Apart from mass pollution all those vehicles make the traffic jam. Most of the town’s traffic is controlled by the special traffic police either on the ground or on the stand. There are signal lights in some of the cities like Calcutta, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Hydrabad and Madras but only on the main motor-ways. Majority of the roads and streets are without any signals. So the human traffic plays the major role in controlling the traffic movement of India.
There are one-ways, No Entry, Speed Limit, Bumps Ahead signs at some places but are never obeyed properly. There are no cameras to check upon the speed. At many places the drivers go without safety belts and many vehicles have no proper signal lights. The tyres are found to be worn out. Brakes are found failing.
The traffic on the road is found to be strict but at the same time very workable on terms of money. Under age children drive vehicles without insurance. Two wheeler vehicles are driven by the kids of ten to twelve years. Even three wheelers are found to be driven by the underage. Heavy farm tractors are driven by the young persons of the same age.
Some vehicles are seen without lights at night. Hooting is in abundance and headache to the resting people. Some vehicles have no horns at all.
There is no speed limit in practical. Only the sign boards are there for reading only. But even the drivers with no reading knowledge are found driving all sorts of vehicles. Some of the drivers go as fast to 80 to 100 K.H even in the town center.
Round about or circle is mostly for show as very few drivers make use of it.
Accidents are in plenty but very few are fined. Even the underage driver without the insurance who has committed accident, another grown up person with valid license takes the responsibity of the accident, he has never done. Most of the police-men are workable on terms of money. Cases of man-slaughter through the careless driving are easily converted in accident with no fault of the driver.
Driving Licenses are issued with a very simple test or at events without any test. Some of the persons who don’t know ABCD of driving are being given the license behind the curtain. At some centers in States like Gujarat, a tester sits one comfortable place and all those who need the license start the vehicle and just drive it for few hundred meters and he or she is granted the license. There is no signal test at most of the centers.
There is a lack of round about at the needy places especially where four roads meet. Many drivers are not aware of who has to wait and who has to go through. Most of the drivers go fast over such crossings and the cases of accidents in plenty are seen. There are no enough signs of warnings. In some of the states the warnings and signs are written in English only where majority of the drivers hardly know the reading in English.
The traffic fines are mild and no one loves to respect or to fear the traffic officers who become very cheap when shown money.
Two wheelers seen with three to four passenger and three wheelers which are meant for 3 persons only are seen carrying five to six passengers.
So for a foreigner especially from Britain, it is really surprising where even a minor traffic fault means a great fine.
Parking is also very freely done. At many places NO PARKING signals are overlooked and even if the traffic police comes on the scene he is workable on little amount of money. Most of the traffic police are hungry and they look for extra money from such people. Very few cases are written and those to show to their seniors.
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