Ah, the traffic in India. One striking feature of all Indian roads is the way vehicles move. We Indians have traditionally valued humans more than machines. Hence the absolute disrespect for traffic signals. Unless our lovable motu puliswala is there (Of course, some of the better prepared set aside a few hundred for him too, just in case), who cares if it is red or green?
People become F1 drivers on the road even if they are meek mice at home. If they see a chance, they will drive through red lights. It is not just happening but also expected. At some red lights, I often hear a faculty telling my college bus driver "Be smart. If you see a chance to go, just drive without bothering about the signal!"
Residents are proud of this. Surely all of us, at some point, have heard locals proudly proclaim, "You try driving in my city. I can guarantee that if you can drive on my city's roads, you can drive anywhere in the world!"
Of course, this situation is an absolute nightmare for pedestrians. Even with signals, if there is no traffic cop around, you can never be sure where a vehicle is coming from. People driving the wrong way may sneak up on you at any moment (If you get in their way, it's apparently your fault!).
People who live in my area (or have been there) will agree that getting from CMBT to my house, though a 20 second walk, is filled with death traps. Massive Metal Monsters can come from any one of four directions and make chapati of you.
But some (like me) see the sporting side of it (quite literally). Here is a small graphic I made based on the experience of wading through traffic.
WHAT WADING THROUGH TRAFFIC LOOKS LIKE
WHAT I FEEL LIKE
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