Indian traffic guide

Traffic conditions in Indian cities vary from region to region. In New Delhi, the streets are wide and there are few traffic jams. But in old Delhi, the streets were narrow, cars, ox carts, trucks and cows crowded together, and traffic jams were frequent. In India, sacred cows can walk freely in the streets and strut. Passing vehicles have to give way to it, and the traffic police can do nothing about it.

Indian road and rail transportation is relatively developed, and it is also among the best in developing China. Roads are mainly divided into three types: national highway, national highway and border road, which connect large, medium and small cities across the country and form a huge road network. Air india now connects five continents, and it is also in the forefront of developing China countries. The Indian railway network has a good foundation and is very common. It reached 64,000 kilometers a long time ago, which is longer than the total railway mileage of China. The infrastructure is relatively complete, and the railway system is better than the surrounding buildings, mostly European-style buildings with red walls and white windows. However, the hardware facilities of Indian railway system are not high, and many lines use manual turnouts and mechanical signals (flag raising). Indian trains are divided into several classes.

The first-class car not only has air-conditioned sleepers, but also has better service. Sleeper cars generally have no bedding and no waiter service. The car is dirty and messy, and nobody cares. Hard-seat cars are even worse. The passengers are crowded and sultry, which is unbearable. In Indian trains, the carriages are not connected, which is very inconvenient. By contrast, train tickets are relatively cheap. According to the ticket grade, there are waiting rooms, canteens and women's waiting rooms in the station. There are toilets and bathrooms in the waiting room. Although there are a sea of people inside and outside the station, the classification waiting room is very quiet and people are consciously observing the classification system. Tickets are also divided into many grades. There is a second-class seat (hard seat); Second-class sleeper (hard sleeper); 2 /C (air-conditioned hard sleeper), 1 A/C (air-conditioned soft sleeper), etc.

Second-class sleeper is relatively economical. Because there is no bedding, the comfort is poor, especially when it is cold in winter night. Most of them are used by domestic tourists in India. Air-conditioned cars are comfortable, and the price may be about 2-3 times that of second-class sleepers. Drinks and meals are provided in the car, which is usually used by wealthy Indians and foreign tourists. Train ticket sales are divided into ticket office and reservation office. Some big stations (such as New Delhi) have special international tourism bureaus, but some international tourism bureaus don't sell tickets, only provide consultation and rest, and buy tickets to the ticket office, such as Jodhpur. Some stations have ticket windows for foreigners, such as varanasi. Buying tickets at foreigners' ticket offices or windows can avoid the congestion of ordinary windows, but you have to pay US dollars or provide proof of exchange.

In tourist cities without trains, such as Kajulajo, there are online booking offices for train tickets. Many hotels offer the service of purchasing train tickets, generally 50 rupees per ticket. Pay attention to put your luggage on the train. People lock their luggage on the train with chain locks. Pay special attention to shoes. Although many Indians don't wear shoes or slippers, your hiking shoes or hiking shoes may still be prey. So take good care of your shoes after going to bed at night.

All roads in India are in poor condition, especially interstate highways, so cars should be the auxiliary means of transportation for trains. Only in places where there is no train, such as Kajulajo, will you consider taking the bus. But trains are often late, so be prepared. In addition, some tourist buses that look luxurious are actually worn-out buses. Coach also has seats, and the departure time is usually very punctual. Some cities only have one bus a day, so be sure to know the departure time in advance. Hotels are usually willing to provide this information. Even long-distance buses between neighboring cities take at least 5-6 hours, so they often cross the meal time. Drivers usually park in big towns, and there are food stalls on the roadside.

If you are worried about hygiene, you can prepare some food in advance. India's long-distance bus transportation industry is very developed, and many goods are transported by big trucks instead of trains. On the ring road in Delhi, you can often see Tata trucks full of goods speeding by.

Buses in India are also different from those in other countries. They are tall and have no doors. There are only two front and rear doorframes. Passengers go from the back door to the front door. If the bus is full of passengers, the latecomers will grab the door and stick their heads out, and the police and conductor will not interfere. Sometimes there are seven or eight passengers hanging outside a bus. Indian buses run very fast and drivers are always in a hurry. They started before the passengers got on the bus. Indians are experienced, so foreigners are not so lucky to get to the bus quickly. The author has several friends who are studying abroad. Because they hurt their legs when getting on and off the bus, they can't quarrel with the driver, so they have to admit that they are unlucky. Buses in India used to be state-owned.

After the economic reform, the government allowed private enterprises to operate. Delhi has established two car companies, Red Line and Green Line. However, because the drivers recruited by these two companies are unskilled and often have accidents, they are called the death line in the newspaper. Many passengers are afraid to take the buses of these two companies, and the price is slightly more expensive than the bus. Most people travel by bus in cities. An interesting phenomenon of Indian buses is that the doors are open. Passengers can get on and off at any time as long as the speed slows down. Even at the station, buses often just slow down, and passengers often get on and off in the process of taking taxis. If there are too many passengers in the carriage, people will climb onto the roof.

In India, it is also common for trains and buses to carry people on the roof. Motorcycles are the means of transportation for most people. If you can't afford a car, you will always save money to buy an Indian motorcycle. The husband is riding a motorcycle, and the wife is sitting in the back seat with a child in her arms. Many college students go to school by motorcycle. In the streets of India, there are only motorcycles besides cars, so India is a motorcycle kingdom. In India, few people ride bicycles except students in university areas. Cars and motorcycles in India drive very fast, so it is not safe to ride bicycles. Motor tricycle/human tricycles/taxi The roof of an Indian taxi is painted yellow.

In addition to cars, there is also a small three-wheeled taxi, which is similar to a three-wheeled motorcycle, but the car has a top cover, which can keep out the sun and rain. This kind of taxi is very cheap and business is booming. India also has rickshaws, similar to those on the streets of Beijing. Many rickshaws come from Nepal. Because India and Nepal are visa-free, these people will integrate into Indian society when they come. Even the Indian government doesn't know how many Nepalese immigrants there are in India. The bodies of all three cars are marked with the words taxi. There are taxis in big cities, and only automatic rickshaws or circulating rickshaws in small and medium-sized cities. These are the main means of transportation indoors. There are carriages in New Delhi, too. Tricycle fares can be bargained, and the asking price will be higher.

You can ask the hotel staff the cost first, and be prepared to bargain. When the competition is fierce, some drivers may offer a price lower than the regular price, but when they arrive at their destination, they will ask you for the regular price, and generally will not ask for a price beyond the regular price. The rickshaw pullers at the railway station may introduce you to hotels and inns, but you must never listen to them. Sometimes the fare is too difficult to bargain, and they will show you around the road, let you buy things and get kickbacks from them. Indian civil aviation industry is not as developed as China, so it is common for planes to be delayed. There are still a few people who choose to fly when traveling abroad. Matters needing attention when taking a train in India. No one signed in at the station. Indian railway station inherited the British style.

No one can check in at the entrance of the station. You can get in and out of the platform at will, but the TTE (train ticket inspector) on the bus checked it carefully. If you find the fare evasion, you will be fined. 2. Take fewer trains to the one-way branch line. This kind of train is usually a candidate with a late record, such as 4059/4060 from Delhi to Jahisalamo and 4853/4854 from Jodhpur to varanasi. The longest record I have ever seen is five hours, and the last train I took was 7.5 hours late. The Korean girl I met was late 12 hours.

Therefore, it is suggested to take the main line as far as possible (almost all the yellow super-fast trains seen in the Indian train timetable are main lines), otherwise the timetable is purely for reference.

You can enter the waiting room when waiting for the bus. As long as you have a ticket, you can enter the designated waiting room to wait for the bus. Don't sleep on the platform (imagine everyone running away with big bags on their backs. Most platforms in India are like that). Girls have a special waiting room for women.

Generally, every waiting room has a bathroom and toilet, but maybe I went to the waiting room in SL. I haven't tried any toilets, but the bathroom in the waiting room of CST in Mumbai looks quite clean.

If you wait too long, you can sleep in the lounge. All major stations have lounges. If you can't book a hotel, you can try. There are single rooms and dormitories, and the 24-hour system is implemented. Most of them only need 50-200 rupees.

5. Check the booking bulletin board carefully. If your ticket is a ticket with a confirmed seat, it will directly indicate which car and seat it is. At this time, just go directly to the parking space reserved for that car and wait for the bus. However, if your ticket shows RAC or WL tickets, it means that your seat has not been determined. At this time, you must check the reservation bulletin board before boarding, which will indicate your name/age, original order and whether you have confirmed your seat (CNF will be indicated). If you have a seat, your car number and berth number will also be displayed. This information will also be posted in front of your car, but usually there is no time to find it.

6. Inquiring about the parking position of your car is usually announced at the entrance, where the parking number of each car will be listed, and numbers like 1, 2, 3 and 4 will also appear on the platform like the China train. Unless you think you can walk more than 100 meters with a heavy backpack (I ran past a group of Koreans at the first bus stop Jaipur), you'd better make sure in advance.

7. Pay attention to platform broadcasting. The platform broadcast in India must be in Hindi, repeating an English paragraph. If there is a broadcast, you must listen with your ears open. Usually, it will announce when the train will arrive at which platform. If there is a slow score, it is usually announced one by one every hour to test your patience.

8. After getting on the bus, wait for TTE to check the tickets before going to bed. Generally, TTE will check the tickets within half an hour after boarding, but sometimes it may be a little late, because a TTE is responsible for about 4 cars, and there will be handover in the middle. At this time, you must stick to it, or being woken up by a uniformed Indian is definitely not a pleasant experience.

9. Lock your luggage under the lower berth as soon as you get on the bus. This is the habit of almost every Indian, but this time I took a 6,200-kilometer bus, and I haven't lost anything, and I haven't heard that anyone around me has been stolen. However, when in Rome, do as the Romans do and let it be.

10. Never drink drinking water at the station. There are several taps marked drinking water on the platform of almost every station in India. Almost every Indian will stop to add water. Please don't follow it unless you think you have an iron stomach. According to the regulations of Indian Railway Bureau, the bottled water at the station must be Rs. 0/0 per liter. I haven't had a stomachache since I drank bottled water on this trip.

1 1. Be sure to prepare water before buying snacks at the station. There are many delicious food stalls in every station, but please don't be confused by their appearance and fragrance. Except for the fruit, which tastes similar to that of China, almost everything else is very spicy (Koreans can't stand it, according to three girls from Korea National University), so be sure to prepare enough water first. Otherwise.

12. The beggars on the bus advised them never to give money or things.

There seems to be a beggar in a fixed position on the bus. Some of them will clean their surroundings regularly, while others will sell things on buses. They take this as their profession, and some even deliberately hurt themselves to gain sympathy. However, most of their income will not be lower than that of farmers in the fields, so it is recommended to make sure.

13. Tell the Indians around you where you get off. The more people you know, the better, especially when your reservation is not the last stop. As long as someone knows that you are coming soon, they will be nervous to inform you in advance. Unless you want to miss your stop, please try to accept the enthusiasm of Indians.

14. If you want to store your luggage temporarily after you get off the bus, please find the cloakroom. Almost every major station in India has a cloakroom (pronounced like a clock). As long as you have tickets for the next train (some will not be checked, like New Delhi Station), you can leave your luggage here for the time being. Unless you want to exercise, it is recommended to unload your big luggage here before playing. Each piece is only 10 rupees on the first day, and will increase slightly after the second day.

Train travel: The most economical and convenient means of transportation in India is naturally the train. Trains in India are extremely developed. Visitors who arrive in India for the first time can buy the next ticket at the pre-sale office without leaving the airport. Indian trains are generally divided into air-conditioned cars, ordinary sleepers and buses. Air conditioning shunting is safe, comfortable and punctual. The first-class car is similar to our soft sleeper, but the service of the conductor is more detailed and in place.

The second-class car is divided into upper and lower bunks, and each berth is equipped with a curtain. When you sleep, draw the curtains, which is self-contained and very comfortable. Of course, the price is more expensive and the ticket is more difficult to buy. If you want to save money and integrate into the life of the Indian people, you can consider ordinary sleepers. Also divided into one, two, three and so on. There are three layers, upper, middle and lower. During the day, the middle berth is put down as a backrest and the lower berth as a seat. When you sleep at night, turn it up and hang it with two thick chains. Ordinary sleeper has no luggage rack. Take care of your luggage, there will be some beggars or artists shuttling in the car. You'd better chain your luggage. Keep your shoes tight, too. You can put them in plastic bags and take them to the bed.

There are often stories about getting up the next day and losing your shoes. India has a large temperature difference between day and night, so ordinary sleepers do not provide bedding. Sleeping bags are essential equipment. No matter how cold and dirty the weather is, spread them out and go to bed. Every night, most tourists get into sleeping bags and wrap themselves in cocoons. Don't wonder why local people have quilts, huh? In fact, they often wear thick blankets, which are the easiest to use and carry.

The train never leaves the door open. Passengers can get on and off at will as soon as they stop. When the train was about to leave, it was really scary to walk past the junction of two cars. The bus stop has no name. Foreigners are always on tenterhooks, afraid of missing the bus stop. But the locals are so powerful that they can consciously get off at midnight. The conductor usually disappears after checking the ticket, but there are often guards with guns in the carriage to make them feel safe.

There are two kinds of train ticket offices in India. The ticket office only sells the departure tickets of the station, and the ticket office uses the computer network booking system to sell the train tickets that leave anytime and anywhere. Foreign tourists can buy tickets at the priority window, which avoids the congestion of ordinary windows such as the elderly, students and soldiers. Enjoy priority treatment. Indian trains are all registered in real-name registration system. Don't wait in line when buying tickets. You must fill in this form first.

Content: name, gender, age, train number, destination, contact address, etc. If you want to shop in the hotel, you need to indicate your passport number. Big cities usually have more than one railway station. Be sure to check the tickets and don't miss the train at the wrong station. There is also a waiting room in the station, which is classified according to the ticket grade. Although the platform was crowded with people, the waiting room was quiet. If it's really delayed, you can rest in peace.

Indian Railways also provides a train pass called INDRAILPASS, which can provide unlimited ride service for half a day to 90 days. The price is not cheap, you can decide whether to buy a pass or buy it in sections according to your needs. The roof of the bus was crowded with people. Although the bus is not as comfortable as the train, it can guarantee to arrive on time. 1. Sleeper car: there are seats on the ground floor and sleepers on the upper floor, which are divided into small squares. Only one person can sleep on one side and a double bed on the other. If you sleep on it and you happen to be a foreigner, it will become a rare exhibit by the way. Anyone passing through the aisle will definitely look through the glass.

2. Short-distance buses: Overcrowded buses are common. Is that Sue?

Some short-distance buses are even more amazing. Not only can a bus squeeze into the carriage, but even the roof is crowded with people, which is no different from performing acrobatics. It is said that drivers often stop halfway and repeatedly put passengers on the roof to avoid falling and hurting their lives. The cheapest taxis in human tricycles have taxis in big cities like Delhi, and the most common means of transportation in human tricycles and small and medium-sized cities are Autorickshaw and human tricycles.

You can take a car in sections or charter a car, and you have to pay a price when you get on the bus. Renting a car is not expensive, but the driver insists on advising you to go shopping; I am impressed by their perseverance and admire them very much. It should be noted that tricycle drivers often lie that the hotel you are going to is full, or drag you to a hotel with a similar name in order to get kickbacks. Of course, the hotels they introduce are sometimes good, but please remember that seeing is believing. A priori room, pay the fare when you are satisfied.

In contrast, human tricycles is cheaper, and it is also a good way to visit as long as there is plenty of time. India is a vibrant country with rich and interesting means of transportation. Carriages, mules, elephants and so on swaggered along the road.