Traffic, More Traffic
and Dhaka Traffic
The first few days in Dhaka as a TS (Trailing Spouse) are an
onslaught on your senses. The most in
your face onslaught on so many levels is the traffic. Now I have realised that all rules and
regulations related to management of traffic do not apply here. All perceptions of how traffic should work or
how it works does not apply. This is
Dhaka Traffic!
Firstly, anything with wheels, has the right to be on and
own all of the road. Doesn’t matter what
state your wheels are in, how many you have got, what speed you are travelling
– they all feel they have a right to own the road. Secondly, the only rule that seems to apply,
if I am bigger than you, then I have priority.
The best way to look at it, is that its Darwinian’s natural selection
process in action based on a hierarchal vehicle species and traffic system of
survival.
Thirdly, if your bell, and yes every bike has one, and they
probably need serviced more often than the bike itself to your car horn – if it
doesn’t work – you are on a suicide mission.
Make sure you have signed that will, made the appropriate arrangements
as either two things will happen – death or … you don’t go anywhere, as you
will be still stuck trying to get out of the driveway.
Fourthly, if you expect to go above 20mph – forget it. Fifthly – there are pot holes and there are
pot holes. With the latter, having
climbing equipment and ropes may be an essential item to have in your vehicle,
as if you drive into them – you may end up at the centre of the earth – who
knows. People are still missing.
Sixthly – giving way, stopping at junctions, indicating,
giving due consideration to cyclists or other road users etc just does not
apply. The whole concept of a highway
code just hasn’t reached this part of the world. I think there is a driving test, and if there
is, who knows what it contains. Oh and
to cap it all – on most roads there is no paint to indicate any lanes, and if
there was, why bother – no-one follows it.
Also there are few traffic lights, and if there are – they don’t
work. Starting to get the picture?
Add to the whole traffic ‘management’ dysfunctionality is
the noise. In some ways I haven’t
noticed the pollution as much as the noise.
Bells ringing, horns tooting, which is quite amusing as bigger the
vehicle, the deeper sounding the horn is.
There a rickshaws (three wheeled bikes used as taxis); tuk-tuks' – a
mini version of a reliant robin and a lawnmower engine looking like a cage on
wheels (used as a taxi), cars, SUV’s, lorries, busses (more often or not they
have been in the wars with other buses and are held together with sticky tape
and whatever else you can find) and and and…
The next thing one notices, is that if you leave space in
front of you in case the other driver brakes etc, as you would do being a
considerate and careful driver – the space has gone! One of the aforementioned list of vehicles
will have taken it, or muscle in to take it.
Being a passenger is like being on a slow moving, pulse racing roller
coaster. If the mosquitoes don’t get
you, the stress of driving in traffic will.
So the next time you are stuck in your traffic jam, give
some consideration to the TS in Dhaka.
What you are experiencing is just mild inconvenience, a bit like indigestion. When you come to Dhaka - it’s a full on
corony!