If you think British roads are bad, and that British drivers are inexcusably rude whilst behind the wheel, you probably had better not attempt the mountain road into Srinagar, in Kashmir, Northern India. The driving habits of the locals will surely turn your hair grey – that is, if you survive the journey.
I know someone who took the bus all the way from Delhi, the Indian capital, to the remote city of Srinagar, and did actually live to tell the tale. The first part of the journey was uneventful, and, more importantly – flat. It wasn’t until my friend opened his eyes after sleeping that he realised how dramatically the landscape had changed. Peering out he saw a gaping, tree covered ravine to his right, dropping down from the road (think dirt track) in an alarming manner.
The proximity to the edge though, wasn’t the worst part of the trip. Other drivers, most of whom were driving colourfully painted freight trucks – all built by Indian firm Tata – and indeed the driver of the bus itself, would constantly try to overtake slower drivers, despite the fact that it was very hard to see what was coming along the other lane, due to the twisting nature of the road. The fact that one false move meant certain death, was beside the point.
The term breakdown assistance up in this remote part of the world does not hold the same power as it does in the UK. So the next time you’re parked up by the side of the road, be glad you’re in the UK and probably less than an hour away from breakdown assistance, and safety.