On 26-Jul-06, at 10:10 PM, sastry wrote:
In India bikes are dangerous. Period. They are used because they are
affordable, cheaper to run and the risk seems worth taking. The
"convenience"
of being able to dodge traffic is no big deal. When traffic gets
jammed - it
gets jammed - bikes and all.
Not true. Bikes get through gaps in traffic far better, cause lesser
congestion, and are less polluting / more fuel efficient when you
compare fuel consumption with human bodies carried for a given
distance. Most cars have a single occupant. Besides, most Indian
roads are designed for bikes, not cars.
Unless our cities are radically remodelled, cars are and will be the
primary cause of traffic problems/dangers.
I've noticed that Bangalore's roads have fewer lane markings than
they used to. That's good. Lane discipline is a function of uniform
vehicle width, not driver discipline. It develops automatically in
proper traffic conditions. No point cribbing about its lack until
cars outnumber other vehicles on our roads.
--
Kiran Jonnalagadda
http://www.pobox.com/~jace
