I am an Indian, presently working in Australia. I was surprised to see that here people DO NOT use their vehicles horns routinely. I have used my horn only once or twice in last 9 months. Here the horn is used only when someone has done something wrong while driving. By and large the roads are not at all noisy here. This is a really good discipline we should learn from such countries rather than acquiring bad things. I hope this great move by the Mumbai police will have a big impact on our thinking and we will prove (as ever) that we are a GREAT NATION. JAI HIND
RE:Great effort !
by lavey dcosta on Apr 07, 2008 09:44 AM Permalink
In order to reach the level of discipline in Australia, following steps need to be taken urgently : (1)Strict adherence to lane driving (2)Adherence to traffic signals (3)Use of cameras at traffic junctions and on highways for capturing offences (4)Centralisation of vehicle registration numbers and ability to be captured on cameras (5)Migration to on line booking for traffic offences (6)Finally, suspension of driving licences in case of default on say 3 occasions. We may not have the technology right now - but the important question is whether India has the will to go this farther. Results will be like what Vikrant Khanna has said. No honking days will not help the least - it will be only a fad.
RE:Great effort !
by Deepak on Apr 07, 2008 09:53 AM Permalink
Am deeply shocked. How can we (highly civilized country) even think of emulating Australia (so called uncivilized and racist country). HeHe.
RE:Great effort !
by mahabodhi on Apr 07, 2008 10:31 AM Permalink
australia population only 2 crore and size more than 3 times of india! and even then the whites eliminated the aborigins or either shifted them to pappua new guin and after 250 years australian PM regretted that aborigins were badly treated and apologised !What hypocracy!they very well know that now aborigins are gone like DODO and australia is whites territory! many Indians go there to study by paying hefty amounts say minimunm 10 lakhs for useless courses but who cares because the parents of such students have made money in India by unfair , corrupt means !other wise how can one explain that Nanada the Navy Chief 's son involved in an accident case well known went to USA to study MBA! these childern of corrupt officials when go to us and AUSTRALIA AND SEE THE CORRUPT FREE SOCIATY ONLY ABUSE INDIA FOR ITS FILTHYNESS AND CORRUPTION LITTLE KNOWING? THAT IT IS THEIR OARENTS WHO ARE CORRUPT AND THAT MONEY TO PURCHASE GOOD ARMS HAVE BEEN SIPHONED AND MONEY TO CLEAN OUR CITIES HAVE BEEN SIPHONED BY THEIR PARENTS.jAI hIND!
RE:Great effort !
by Chanakya on Apr 07, 2008 09:35 AM Permalink
dear Vikrant, what is the vehicle population vis as vis the citi-size of Australia versus Mumbai... I think Australia may be having a 6 lane driving with one-fourth of the Mumbai vehicles wo had to drive in two lane or some time in one lane? wish you could visit Mumbai once in a decade to experience the problem.
RE:RE:Great effort !
by Madhava krishna on Apr 07, 2008 10:30 AM Permalink
I second Vikranth's feeling on driving. Being in te United States for more than 2 years, we rarely honk. If we drive through the downtowns, these cities have no better roads than a Dadar, Vile Parle or Shiv (Old name Sion) junctions. In fact these downtowns have much smaller lanes. For instance LA downtown. But the difference is in the attitude of the drivers and the pedestrians. First right of the way in a narrow road will go to a pedestrian. Where as, on a freeway, neither pedestrians nor 2 wheelers (Motor Bikes OK) like bicycles allowed. So, the rules should be context sensitive and not fixed. Even on a freeway, we show descipline by understanding what other driver wants to do before we ask for what we want from others. This has to come through understanding and not from outside.
RE:RE:RE:Great effort !
by vikrant khanna on Apr 07, 2008 03:27 PM Permalink
Dear Madhav, Thanks for elaborating the situation of lanes in certain parts of the USA.It might help those who blame the population, road, corruption and so on... for their mistakes.
RE:Great effort !
by drvikrant khanna on Apr 07, 2008 03:21 PM Permalink
Dear Chanakya, I strongly agree with you as far the population and road conditions are compared between the two countries. But,why do we start honking as soon as the signals go green without waiting for the first vehicle to go ahead? I think it has got nothing to do with the no of lanes. I am sure that none of these so called developed countries can cope up with the population we have.But, as we have always proved that we can be much better if we have the determination to do the things.
