Story here.
This is really more about Indian driving habits as the number of cars increase than it is about elephants. And now that the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, has been unveiled at the New Delhi Auto show, the roads are about to get more crowded.
Great story. Excerpt:
“Never mind that none of the six adult members of the household knew how to drive. No sooner had the car arrived than Mr. Sharma, 34, took it for a spin and knocked over a friend. His brother slammed into a motorcyclist, injuring no one but damaging the bumper. The brother was so scared that he no longer gets behind the wheel, except on Sundays, when the roads are empty. ‘We bought it first, and then we thought about driving,’ Mr. Sharma confessed.”
I have to say that’s a well-written story, and what annoys me is that it’s mostly true. Can I just point out that there is at least one Indian driver who drives within the rules, tries to be considerate of other people on the road and, when a pedestrian, tries to be a responsible one?
I’m not saying I’m perfect at this, but hey, at least I try…
I’m in two minds about the Nano. At one level, I see the clear benefit to middle-class families, who just couldn’t afford a car before this. My family didn’t have a car until about 1998; partly because we didn’t really need it, but mostly because it would have been a severe financial burden. I’m sure that to some families the Nano will deliver a real benefit, if it’s reasonably economical and reliable to run.
On the other hand, there’s the whole issue of pollution and overcrowding. Where all these cars are going to fit, I don’t know. There’s no doubt that part of the problem is the lack of driving culture mentioned above - traffic would flow much more smoothly in the absence of this frantic pushing and shoving on the roads, which just ends up with everyone in everyone else’s way. I don’t know how or even if that will ever change - all I see is rising road rage. There’s also a clear argument to be made in favour of strengthening public transportation; I know I’d drive much less if there was reliable, efficient transportation available within Bangalore, and there’s now hope for that, in the shape of a light overground rail system. Improving public transport might actually yield more long-term benefits in terms of saving energy and crucially for India, reducing oil imports.
Excellent article!
For those of you who have not checked out the link in the OP, a new Nano will retail for only US$2500. The roads everywhere may be about to get a lot more crowded.