The Dhaka traffic situation.

It’s like a journey into the past century; at least in old Dhaka the majority of vehicles on the road are Rickshaws – 3 wheelers for 2 passengers or whatever goods to be carried. Most Rickshaw cyclers are very skinny but very athletic men, who can cycle like devils. Everyone wants to overtake the others and I can assure you, they cycle very fast! I was scared to be airborne at some corners. Well and then the Autorickschaws blend in as well. They’re looking like green and yellow insects right out of a comic movie :) Again they want to be the faster ones on the road, not wanting to give way to the few private cars that ply the roads. the private cars – often with tinted windows – think they are the “Elite” of the country, so why to give way to anything?! But there are still bigger and heavier vehicles on the roads. Buses and trucks. And these vehicles are often heavy overloaded, 60 passengers in a bus plus a few on top or hanging on the back is no exception.

As said, everybody wants to be first and the result is a constant honking, honking, honking … the bigger the vehicle the noisier the honk. Everybody is pushing against the other vehicle and there are absolutely no traffic lines. The Rickshaws or Autorickshaws are trying to sneak into the front of a big honking bus … this can really make even the most case hardened traveller a bit uncomfortable.

Crossings, roundabouts or one-way roads are there to be used in the wrong direction, traffic lights and policemen are abundant, but rather broken or hopeless. Everyone moves at his own idea or takes the shortest short-cut, no matter what’s in the way. Fact is, there are about 30 deaths on the roads per day in Dhaka … The only way to handle such situations as a tourist is simple: Lean back, watch the chaos and have faith that you will not be the one of those who ends up in these statistics.

There is definitely too much energy on the roads in Bangladesh. One should think about sponsoring a Rickshaw driver for competing in the Tour de France. Even without doping and with a good bike, I’m sure that he will have an outstanding performance.

Some impressions:

Jammed streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Only the strong survive on the streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Whether it’s day or night, the streets are always packed in Bangladesh.

There is a reason why buses look so the way they look in Bangladesh …

As a Rickshaw driver in Bangladesh, you need to be a tough fella.

There’s no way getting through here …

Here’s a short flashback: We spent two weeks in Thailand at the end of September this year. ”Beach paradise here we come” turned into “Beach paradise where are you?” It was raining cats and dogs for days in a row, so we decided to leave Koh Kood island and explore Bangkok.

What can I say? Bangkok itself is great. You just have to leave all the tourist areas (which is not that easy because it’s THE tourist capital in southeast Asia), and start exploring the rural areas & markets. BUT, if you decide to hit the road with a tuk-tuk or taxi, be sure to watch out, because chances of getting ripped off are … well, high! Why? In my opinion there’s only one simple reason: There are far too many tourists. I mean honestly, most Thais try to rip you off pretty much everywhere. They want your money and they’ll do anything to get it…

Buses in Bangkok provide an incredibly cheap way to travel from one side of the city to another. It’s also a great way to see the real Bangkok you don’t often see if you’re travelling by other means of transportation.

Anyway, to get a feeling on what I’m talking about, here are three of our experiences with tuk-tuk & taxis in Bangkok:

Scene 1.

It’s 5.30 in the morning and we need to get to Ekkamai bus station. The hotel staff waves up a taxi and tells him where we want to go. So as he starts driving (and doesn’t start the taximeter himself), I ask how much he wants. He replied “Ohhhh, Ekkamai very far, so 200 bath.” He obviously didn’t know that we’ve been to Ekkamai the day before to buy our tickets and therefore we knew that “very far” it not that far after all. So I asked if he was crazy and I wanted him to start the meter. He them seemed to realize that we knew where we wanted to go … still, he didn’t want to give in so he drove a little scenic tour (but since it was early I didn’t bother) and at 81 Bath, the bus station came into sight. He was nice in the end and joked “Haha, sorry 200 Bath to Ekkamai”.

Résumé: No matter how nice (or old) your driver is, they only want your money!

Scene 2.

We’ve been walking and waking and walking for I don’t know how long and decided to take a tuk-tuk for the last couple of kilometres. Chao Phraya river was our goal. As soon as we waited along the street, a tuk-tuk driver came along. I asked how much be wanted and he told me 200 Bath. I (again) asked if he was crazy. He just said: “Ok ok we make cheaper, you come in.” So we step into the tuk-tuk and he started driving. Again, I asked how much he wanted. He didn’t reply. After maybe 200 meters he stopped and turned around to show us something. “You come with me to my sponsor, then I make you very cheap price.” I said “No.” He said: “ You only look there, I get extra money from sponsor if I bring you there and then cheap for you.” I started getting pissed off and told him: “You either bring us there for 50 Bath or we go now!” He started getting rude, cursed something is Thai and told us to leave. What we gladly did!

Résumé: Stay away from tuk-tuk drivers. They’re only after (guess what) your money! And if you do give in and drive to these “sponsors”, be prepared to pretty much be forced to buy some really expensive rubbish.

While we were there, it almost seemed like that the tuk-tuk drivers don’t really make good business any more (no wonder with their attitude). We’ve maybe only seen a handful of occupied ones … Anybody notice the same?

A tuk-tuk is a widely used in Bangkok and other Thai cities. It is particularly popular where traffic congestion is a major problem, which is the case in Bangkok pretty much 24/7.

Scene 3.

This was on our last day in Bangkok. We were exhausted and therefore skipped the train to the airport. Depending on the rush hour,a taxi drive to the airport would cost about 350-400 Bath. And since I didn’t want any hassle I asked the first taxi driver how much he wanted (before stepping into the car). He said 700 and I told him I’d only pay 400 and he could either say yes or no. He said yes. But the hassle was still to come. Again, after about 500 meters, he stopped the taxi, tuned around and said: ”So much traffic today, you pay more … maybe 500 Bath.” This was it for me. I asked him what in the world his problem was and why he was fine with 400 before if he now wanted 500? I was soooo ready to get out of the cab and I had enough of arguing with this guy. In the end, he reluctantly gave in.

Résumé: They are ALWAYS after your cash, so be aware!

Bangkok’s traffic problem has been getting worse since the government introduced a policy to refund tax for first-time car buyers. To stay out of traffic, take the Skytrain or Subway.

My tip.

• Take the bus, Sky Train or Subway! Buy a day ticket and you’ll not only save money but also unneeded hassle.