11. Local Transportation in India - moving people and goods

I could write this in two words, just say ‘its different’  and end it there - but where would the fun be in that?! But the fact is, It is different - and in so many ways!  

First about the roads - there are lines dividing lanes but these can only be considered “general guidelines” at best.  Emphasis on “general” and on “guidelines”.  In Jaipur, two lanes can be shared by any combination of 2-3 cars, , 3-4 motorcycles, a bicycle or two, a cart pulled by a man, a horse or a camel, various people crossing the road, the odd cow or two crossing the road or having a nap on the road, elephants and, a dog or two.  That’s just the traffic going in the same direction because no one seems to take offence at the cars or motorcycles travelling in your lane in the opposing direction.  It is, of course, much quicker to just scoot down the wrong side of the road rather than go past where you want to be, make a u-turn and go back on the right side of the road - everybody knows that!  Cannot tell you how many times I’ve been walking on the side of a road and come face to face with a car or motorcycle coming directly at me from the wrong side of the road.

I wrote before about the horn-honking - its constant because in the absence of stop signs, its a way of announcing “coming through” or “behind you, move over”.   And differently, blowing horn is requested - you will see painted on the back of a truck in one of the pictures “Blow Horn” and you see that all the time.

So you have a myriad of cars, tourist buses, city buses, carts, rickshaws - auto and pedal, motorcycles, scooters bicycles, people, cows, and and you have them in great quantity with the odd dog, elephant, camel and goat thrown into the mix.  The interesting thing is that for the most part, no matter how jammed the road is, things keep moving, albeit slowly at times, but except when you are stopped for the odd red light everything keeps moving forward (or cross-wise, just depending).  Having sat (at times impatiently at seemingly endless red lights in North America), it was a startling realization and it really hit home by one of those “interesting fact” emails (thank you Bruce) that said the average North American will spend 6 months of his/her life sitting at stop lights or signs!  Imagine!!  So, no matter the crowds and chaos on the streets here, you often feel more often like you are getting somewhere here because you are continuing to move.

The moving of goods I’ve also found very interesting.  On flatbed carts pulled by a bicycle I’ve seen stacks of boxes containing things ranging from mini-fridges, to shoes or  fabrics. You see men walking uphill beside their bikes pulling these carts all the time, not just once in awhile.  And, if you don’t have something to carry stuff on, its carried on the head.

About motorcycles. First, they are smaller of course - usually 250cc or 350cc, but its their use that never ceases to amaze me. Here are just some of the sights I’ve seen:  multiple family members of course - I’ve seen one adult with 4 children, or 3 adults with 2 children or 4 adults (even I’ve now been on a scooter in Amer with two of the teachers!), two guys with a trussed up pig on the lap of the passenger or adults and children with the pig slapped across the tank!  They transport goods as well - passengers holding 6 cu. ft. boxes and last night we saw two guys on a bike carrying a 10’ piece of iron rod - that was scary - it was dusk and there were no orange flags on either end of rod.…  Motorcycles here are not purchases for leisure, they’re use is more like the way we use a mini-van, except on 2 wheels.

And riding a bike?  Forget everything you ever learned about personal space and how to ride safely.  Not only do they not ride in orderly staggered formation but will squeeze through any space that they can fit through.  If the car is sitting at a light or at a train crossing, for example, and there is two feet between the car and the car beside it, before that train passes, several bikes and scooters will have zoomed up in between to get to the front.  And, often they will be riding with just flip-flops on!  They do wear helmets but 99% of the helmets I’ve seen have broken the “drop it once and replace it” rule at least a thousand times!

If the motorcycle is the 2-wheeled version of the mini-van, the auto-rickshaw is the 3-wheeled version.  I’ve shared one with 4 other adults but we didn’t even use the “trunk” for that trip…they fit in lots of variations -  men with their band instruments for example.  But, its the number of small children they pack in - inside as well as in the trunk area.

So, for the average bear, driving is not something one would readily tackle.  In fact, its discouraged for tourists to the extent that if you rent a car, that car comes with a driver.  As I write this, I’m on my way to Puskar which is only 135 kms from Jaipur and normally I wouldn’t think twice about driving but, here - I’m travelling by train!  Which by the way can be different as well in that in some cars, people are packed right in standing up (that’s not how I’m journeying….chicken!!)

Which reminds me to mention passing.  Every lane is a passing lane, including going up or coming down a hill around a corner where there is absolutely no way of knowing who or what is coming up the other side.  Today on the way from Pushkar to Ajmer train station on a hilly, curvy road, the driver pulled out to pass on a turn and when we got halfway round the bus, we were face to face with another bus.  Not for the faint of heart!

Hope some of my pictures give you a flavour - notice the one of the Ambassador car “the king of Indian roads” which sadly they stopped manufacturing in May 2014.  Also, there are thousands of auto- rickshaws - they are all made by Piaggio but it is not uncommon to see that name painted over and replaced with “Volvo” -  and they are often individualized with things painted on them, like “stay back”, “blow horn” or, my favourite kind “no girlfriend, no tension”!!  In Jaipur, they don’t use the meters so you always set the price before getting in and this can involve quite the process of negotiation!  

Amusing side note - auto rickshaws are always on the look-out for a fare so hailing one has never been a problem in Jaipur - in fact, even if you are talking to a driver, it has not been uncommon for one or two others to stop, just in case.  When we were in Delhi recently, I was with Indian friends and we walked up to 4 drivers before one even wanted the fare.  While we were riding, I allowed as how it was so much different than in Jaipur to which my friends “no its not, its that you are so obviously not from here and they can make more money off you”!  And, here was I thinking there were just so many of them trying to make a living and here they are thinking “got a live one here”!