Owning a car in
India
One thing that
strikes newly-arrived British expats or long-term
visitors in India is the difference between owning a car
in their adopted home and owning one in Britain. There
are, for instance, no cheap car insurance comparison
sites such as
www.moneysupermarket.com,
www.monthlycarinsurance.biz or
www.confused.com!
Given the very different geographic features and
economic and social structures, it probably shouldn't
come as too much of a surprise - yet it never fails to.
The Basic
Requirements
While many of the
basics of car ownership, such as insurance, tax,
registration and a valid driving licence are
requirements in both countries, the way things are done
in India is what brings home to British expats the
reality that they're no longer in Britain. Indian
bureaucracy can be a nightmare; a fact that soon becomes
clear when trying to buy and register a new car.
Car Sizes
While India now
has a huge range of car models available, small cars are
what most expat drivers in India prefer. The obvious
reasons are economy and efficient fuel consumption
coupled with fuel being around 40% cheaper than in
Britain. Other common-sense reasons for this are traffic
congestion and lack of decent parking spaces in Indian
cities. Basically, the larger the car, the greater the
chances of it receiving scrapes, bumps and dents in
congested cities where vehicles are continually
attempting to squeeze past each other. Hatchbacks are
especially popular among middle-class car owners with
small families, and manufacturers have seized upon this
market as the most lucrative.
Toll Roads and
Interstate Charges
India has far
more toll roads than Britain. Additionally, while there
are no charges levied upon drivers crossing British
county boundaries, drivers in India may be subject to
interstate charges if their car has been registered in
one state and is taken to another state for longer than
the time period allowed. What frustrates most drivers is
the lack of consistency between different states.
Drivers can never be sure about charges as it depends on
various factors including the type of vehicle, and
whether or not the driver is in possession of various
government-issued forms in addition to vehicle
documents. Unfortunately, this can, and often does,
leave drivers, especially foreign drivers, at the mercy
of corrupt officials.
Speed Limits
Unlike in Britain
where speed limits are applied nationally, speed limits
in India vary from state to state, with significant
differences between different vehicle types. It's
essential for every driver to be aware of the local laws
of each state they're entering so as not to fall foul of
them.
Driving in India
Traffic flow in
Indian cities is far more chaotic than in Britain. Rules
of the road exist, but everyone seems to have their own
unique understanding of them. In a strange way, this
seems to work. Everyone driving in India knows that
everyone else's driving is unpredictable, and so they
allow for that.
Experienced British expat drivers soon get into the
Indian way of driving. They've no choice. If anyone were
to drive through an Indian city like they drive through
British cities, with their various 'Stop', 'Give Way'
and 'One Way' signs that actually mean what they say,
they'd never get anywhere. That's an exaggeration, of
course, but it highlights the essential difference
between British and Indian attitudes to driving.
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