<p class="bodytext">One encouraging thought is that Indian city roads are often so congested or potholed that driving at high speeds is a rarity. When twin cities are within a distance of 30 km or less from each other, the connecting road is neither treated as a regular highway nor a city road, yet a speed limit is prescribed. On such roads, a moderate driver can maintain a speed of 70 kmph, but adhering to a limit of 50 kmph can be challenging, especially when the road ahead is wide and clear.</p>.<p class="bodytext">I recall my daily commute between Hubballi and Dharwad, twin cities separated by a distance of 23 km. I would struggle to complete my household chores on time and leave for the office, only to face peak traffic before hitting the highway. As I held the cash keys for the bank, I was expected to arrive at least 15 minutes before business hours. The anxiety of being late would often get the better of me, causing me to unintentionally exceed the speed limit. I would not even realise that the speedometer needle had shot past the 50 km point until a police patrol would flag me down to speed zero. I remember that every time I would stop immediately, but thereafter my distress would be writ large on my face as I explained hastily, “Sir, I am an officer of …bank. I am holding the cash keys and need to reach before the customers. Look, here are the keys!” This would be enough for the police to relent and let me go. It was clear that the police had a certain level of respect for bank officials.</p>.Decongest Bengaluru, Veerappa Moily writes to CM Siddaramaiah.<p class="bodytext">A large number of buses plied between the twin cities, and it was not uncommon to see a sense of camaraderie among bus drivers. The moment a bus driver spotted a traffic patrol waiting in hiding with a camera, he would send a subtle signal with his hand to the vehicles behind. Driving between the buses at times proved useful for me, and I would adjust my speed just in time, silently thanking the driver. </p>.<p class="bodytext">However, there was one instance where I was not so fortunate. I set out along with my elder brother to a temple midway between the twin cities to offer prayers on his birthday, as my sister-in-law was out of town and he was quite alone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lost in merry conversation, I had hit the gas pedal hard, and I failed to notice that I had crossed the 50 km limit. But the police noticed and flagged me down. As I did not have an “official” reason as a cover to justify my speeding, I dutifully paid the fine. I pacified my slightly distressed brother that one man’s loss was another’s gain and not to worry much about it.</p>
<p class="bodytext">One encouraging thought is that Indian city roads are often so congested or potholed that driving at high speeds is a rarity. When twin cities are within a distance of 30 km or less from each other, the connecting road is neither treated as a regular highway nor a city road, yet a speed limit is prescribed. On such roads, a moderate driver can maintain a speed of 70 kmph, but adhering to a limit of 50 kmph can be challenging, especially when the road ahead is wide and clear.</p>.<p class="bodytext">I recall my daily commute between Hubballi and Dharwad, twin cities separated by a distance of 23 km. I would struggle to complete my household chores on time and leave for the office, only to face peak traffic before hitting the highway. As I held the cash keys for the bank, I was expected to arrive at least 15 minutes before business hours. The anxiety of being late would often get the better of me, causing me to unintentionally exceed the speed limit. I would not even realise that the speedometer needle had shot past the 50 km point until a police patrol would flag me down to speed zero. I remember that every time I would stop immediately, but thereafter my distress would be writ large on my face as I explained hastily, “Sir, I am an officer of …bank. I am holding the cash keys and need to reach before the customers. Look, here are the keys!” This would be enough for the police to relent and let me go. It was clear that the police had a certain level of respect for bank officials.</p>.Decongest Bengaluru, Veerappa Moily writes to CM Siddaramaiah.<p class="bodytext">A large number of buses plied between the twin cities, and it was not uncommon to see a sense of camaraderie among bus drivers. The moment a bus driver spotted a traffic patrol waiting in hiding with a camera, he would send a subtle signal with his hand to the vehicles behind. Driving between the buses at times proved useful for me, and I would adjust my speed just in time, silently thanking the driver. </p>.<p class="bodytext">However, there was one instance where I was not so fortunate. I set out along with my elder brother to a temple midway between the twin cities to offer prayers on his birthday, as my sister-in-law was out of town and he was quite alone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lost in merry conversation, I had hit the gas pedal hard, and I failed to notice that I had crossed the 50 km limit. But the police noticed and flagged me down. As I did not have an “official” reason as a cover to justify my speeding, I dutifully paid the fine. I pacified my slightly distressed brother that one man’s loss was another’s gain and not to worry much about it.</p>
