‘Why are the roads in Bangalore so bad?'

Rickshaw Challenge-Mumbai Xpress 2011 participant says traffic in city is terrible

August 11, 2011 01:47 pm | Updated 01:47 pm IST - BANGALORE:

Participants from seven countries are taking part in the 14-day adventure rally covering 2,000 km. Photo: G.R.N Somashekar.

Participants from seven countries are taking part in the 14-day adventure rally covering 2,000 km. Photo: G.R.N Somashekar.

“Sack the Transport Minister”, says 25-year-old Reece Fallaize, a British national and a participant in Rickshaw Challenge-Mumbai Xpress 2011, who reached Bangalore on Wednesday.

“Why are Bangalore roads so bad? And is there any traffic management?” questions Mr. Fallaize, a financial service provider by profession. “We have to pay heavy penalty for violation of traffic rules. Vehicle users in India are free to violate road rules,” he says and adds that traffic in Bangalore city is terrible and traffic management the worst.

Mr. Fallaize is a part of the team that is on a 14-day adventure rally covering 2,000 km from Mumbai to Chennai to raise funds for various projects of Round Table India for the benefit of underprivileged children.

Members, some in colourful attire, who reached Bangalore in decorated autorickshaws, shared their experiences with the media. The 31-member team left Mumbai on July 30, and travelled via Alibag, Pune, Mahabaleshwar, Ratnagiri, Panaji, Murudeshwar, Mangalore and Mysore before reaching Bangalore.

The event, which will conclude on August 12 at Chennai, has participation from seven countries — Australia, Spain, New Zealand, the U.K, Chile, Canada and Ireland, and participants are in the age group of 25 to 72 years.

Why autorickshaw has been chosen for rally? Because, it is an Indian invented vehicle other than bullock cart, says Arvind of Chennai Event Management Services, the organisers of the event.

He suggests Indians could use autorickshaw as mode of transport instead of cars as it is cheaper. The best two participants will get free entry into the 6,000-km race — Caucasian Challenge — across 11 countries in Europe.

Carolyn (28) from Australia was enthralled with the encouragement by Indians for the rally. “We met villagers, fishermen and students and interacted with them. It's wonderful experience”.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.