At least our crew just have to get to grip with learning the controls of our vehicles, the rules of the road, the heat and the dust, the directions and the signposts in Hindi, but the Indians do, at least, drive on the same side of the road as us. It is very much like driving a motorbike – hand controls on the driver’s handlebars, clutch and twist grip to change gear and a foot brake and handbrake. There is a nominal windscreen wiper but maybe a cloth is more efficient! Although I drive Mowgli around the Sussex lanes, all our participants will be given a driving introduction to get to grips with our three wheeled friends.
Then there are the roads; firstly, roundabouts are known as circles – that’s ok. Traffic lights are mainly respected and drivers stop and follow the rules and don’t just regard them as an entertainment like disco lights. And of course we have that well known sign ‘Horn OK Please’. You see this painted on the back of many commercial vehicles; the idea being that the following vehicle honks, so warning the one in front that they want to pass. There is an urban myth that there was a light next to the ok and the driver in front pressed a button to light the light and give the all clear! But I am not so sure!
Interestingly, on the 30th April 2015 the state Government of Maharashtra, the state we will be driving through the most, banned the use of this iconic sign saying it ‘encouraged noise pollution’!
