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Published: November 18th 2010
Great MPGs!!
...but Cow's are not for riding-Being on the roads in India is an experience. Driving in Mumbai makes driving in New York look like an easy countryside cruise. Some say that lack of space / huge population may be part of the reason but I think it is more of a cultural element. Either way driving in Mumbai involves constant, constant beeping, weaving in and out of lanes, creating your own lanes, disobeying existing lines, running red lights, minding the pedestrians who walk everywhere, and of course and very importantly watching out for the cows. I loved it! Probably because I was a passenger. You might think that all of the above suggests that the Indian drivers are terrible, but quite the contrary. In a society where being timid and shy means losing out, you have to do what you need to get where you want. And with this mentality the drivers are experts! The traffic system functions, and I didn't see one accident! Compare that to Tampa where you see an accident at least daily!
The range of vehicles on the roads ranged from motorbikes, scooters, compacts, SUVs, Trucks, Buses, an occasional horse, and even a (tourist) camel at one stage! Compacts are a
Mind the Saree Mrs.!
I hope the saree doen't get caught in the wheel or ir could be a chilly ride home for this lady... big deal in India. With fuel efficiency and lower prices they offer mobility to a wider consumer segment. We saw a lot of Susuki Swifts, Honda Civics and Tata 'Nanos'. Tata is an Indian company (actually Tata companies expand well beyond automotive. They are like the Indian GE, but probably bigger!) that manufacture the Nano, thus named for obvious reasons. The Nano is becomming increasingly popular on the roads in India and you can expect to see these in US showrooms in 2012. With huge MPG efficiencies and priced under $7,000 new the Tata my also appeal to a significant US consumer segment.
The Rickshaw Auto is a also a primary mode of transort in most cities and towns. The 3 wheelers whip in and out of traffic easily. Ty are fun to ride in and haggling with the drivers is also a good laugh!
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