OK to start with, when you come to Kolkata, ensure that your vehicle has a speed governor. Limit it to 20 kmph. This is not a rule, but my advise for your own safety as a driver of an automobile.
Firstly the roads are narrow, add to that the manholes which though covered are a usually 6 inches to a foot below the tarmac and they run down virtually every road in Kolkata.
Secondly, though cabs are a boon to the public transport system here, they just stop anywhere, anytime and without warning.
Thirdly, pedestrians and believe me there are millions and millions of them, occupy the pavements and usually spill over onto the roads. The concept of pedestrian (zebra) crossings is virtually Greek to them. So you have people dashing across the roads any and everywhere. And if they do be using a zebra crossing, they consider their right of way, whether the signal be it red or green.
And here's the killer, most people cross the road, with their backs to the direction from which the traffic is flowing. I guess they believe that if they don't see the vehicles they aren't there, and if they aren't there, they won't run them over.
Such was the case this morning. I was riding down Darga Road and three people decided to dash across the road. Seeing me approaching at a fairly good speed, two of the stepped back. The third gentlemen just carried on with his leisurely walk across the road with his back towards me, even though he had seen me approaching. I had to slam the brakes, send the bike into a skid and recover, just to ride past him abusing and in shock. Our jay walker seemed unfazed by the incident and just carried on across the road as I watched him in my rear view mirrors.
Man these Kolkatan's are crazy.
Firstly the roads are narrow, add to that the manholes which though covered are a usually 6 inches to a foot below the tarmac and they run down virtually every road in Kolkata.
Secondly, though cabs are a boon to the public transport system here, they just stop anywhere, anytime and without warning.
Thirdly, pedestrians and believe me there are millions and millions of them, occupy the pavements and usually spill over onto the roads. The concept of pedestrian (zebra) crossings is virtually Greek to them. So you have people dashing across the roads any and everywhere. And if they do be using a zebra crossing, they consider their right of way, whether the signal be it red or green.
And here's the killer, most people cross the road, with their backs to the direction from which the traffic is flowing. I guess they believe that if they don't see the vehicles they aren't there, and if they aren't there, they won't run them over.
Such was the case this morning. I was riding down Darga Road and three people decided to dash across the road. Seeing me approaching at a fairly good speed, two of the stepped back. The third gentlemen just carried on with his leisurely walk across the road with his back towards me, even though he had seen me approaching. I had to slam the brakes, send the bike into a skid and recover, just to ride past him abusing and in shock. Our jay walker seemed unfazed by the incident and just carried on across the road as I watched him in my rear view mirrors.
Man these Kolkatan's are crazy.
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