Not sure where to start with this, but you’re never be prepared for Mumbai traffic. After my dad said to me that Indian traffic is bad, I just thought it would only be a bit worse than the M25 at rush hour but no!
The first thing I have learnt is if in doubt, beep your horn even if there are signs saying no! You can beep at anything it is more at other road users who are not quick enough to react to the green light or pedestrians who are just standing in the slightest of way! You can never go on a journey without hearing the horn or your driver beeping the horn.
The next lesson I learnt is that you can drive wherever you want, from asking people, they said people drive on the wrong side of the road; it’s quicker, and they keep moving. However, this causes the driver to beep to the extent you can’t hear the radio. There has been one incident I have witnessed so far of two cars driving at each other, but to my surprise, the car that’s on the right side of the road has to move straight out of the way or else… I have yet to experience this one. All I say is that once one car is on the wrong side of the road, he has friends behind him. The worst thing I have yet to get is that if you go the wrong way, just turn around in the middle of a busy road or do a U-turn at the next traffic light, worse of all even, there is a sign that says no and a police officer who is standing in the middle of the road guiding the traffic you still do it, the quicker you do it the better don’t second guess just be prepared as you do get thrown around in the car!
The next one which Sri Lanka has prepared me for, in a way, is the constant in and out of the lane with no indication. People don’t move lanes if they are slow; you have to work around them even if you have to undercut them, and that is not an issue. When sitting in the car, you never need to be prepared for as many lane changes as possible. It seems like. you’re unable to stay in the same lane for longer than 3 minutes!
Of course, in England, motor bikes and cyclists seem to find themselves in front of the traffic light but in Mumbai, these motorbikes seem to find ways even when I don’t see a possible way, or just beep at the cars and they will move and make way for you. The best part about being on a motorbike is that a red light on a traffic light doesn’t mean stopping it means if it’s safe to go you can go. I have yet to read this as a law but everyone seems to be doing this.
The final point is that Mumbai never sleeps! Someone is always awake making noise this city is always active!
Oh wait the most important thing I nearly forgot you will always hit traffic doesn’t matter the time or where you go, everywhere you go is always a 40-minute car journey so be prepared!
As you can see the traffic jams here are massive, you can’t even see the traffic lights. But also cars are everywhere there is so concept of stay in your lane, if you see a gap go for it!
Just another photo of the traffic I face when I am going back to my hostel.