Indian City Traffic........

There is a huge development in terms of private-transport, affordability of people and sense of self-satisfaction. Governments which are very keen in increasing the vehicle-tax, road-tax and lifetime-tax on new and old vehicles, should also consider doing appropriate planning and providing adequate facilities.

In a city-bus I heard someone joke - "if a pregnant woman leaves to hospital in Bangalore, she'll reach there on her next pregnancy". Its a practical joke, though. Even an ambulance cannot reach the nearest hospital (with trauma care) in an hour, during peak-hours (which span all day long in Bangalore).
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Years ago, I was in Hyderabad....

Hyderabad roads are very interesting. They are never the same, any day. If you think that you memorize the speed-breakers, pits and signals then Hyderabad is not the place you can trust. Those who hold Guinness/Limca records for driving blindfolded will fall-off on Hyderabad roads, before finishing their first fifty feet.

For two years I dint buy a bike of my own, as there was always an alternative. Everyday I used to appreciate my roommate, for having so much patience to drive for 1+1 hours everyday, in a sluggish traffic. After he moved to US, I finally bought a scooter for daily commuting. Just as my parents have always feared, I used to ride fast, though careful.

I used to fuel my scooter once or twice a fortnight, as my scooter used to give fair mileage of (40-45) kmpl.
One evening after rotting in the fuel-exhausts from vehicles jammed on Cyber-Towers to Kukatpally route (someone who knows this road between 2008-2011 will know the pain in constant usage of clutch-brake), I had to fuel myself with two cups of Irani-Chai before I could do anything else. As I reached my room at 8:00 PM, two of my roommates were heading to fuel their bikes and asked if wish to join them. It was a nice climate with evening breeze and I happily joined them.

We were not surprised to find yet another increase in fuel price, for the fifth time in last six months. While the third bike was being fueled, a bye-stander complained about the price of petrol, for he needed to tend 46 paise in change. Its an interesting challenge, as the digital fuel pumps also do not calculate the volume correctly, even if you set the amount to rounded value. The new age digital meters solved this issue, after GOI mandated this fractional loot by Fuel stations.

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An increasing number of wide variety of vehicles are adding to the domestic traffic pool, annually increasing the count by (10-20)%.
While R&B (Roads & Buildings) department is either cuffed with political pressures (or) busy counting their share....
While the Town Planning Officers are restricted to paper-work and are insignificant in urban development....
While the Corporations and Municipalities do not bother to keep the roads clean; and rather are busy in inventing ways to get more grants into their pockets....

....ever-increasing traffic, and never-usable roads contribute their significant share to a common-man's frustration, who cannot avoid the roads.