The first time in the queue a software engineer explained how he was using a broker to save time and energy.

However someone with even insufficient driving skill and no proper knowledge of the road rules can pass also by this payment system.

That’s what devalues the Indian license and makes many countries not accept it. It isn’t racism but common sense not to accept an Indian license as signifying driving skills.

There have been some police efforts at cleaning this up but not effective as far as I know. Only it has raised the bribe prices.

Another part of the dodgy licenses is that you can get one with absolutely no proof of anything by getting an affadavit saying you are so and so born at so and so on such and such date. Then you need address proof which can also be easily faked.

Once you get a DL then you can get all other documents like bank account etc. So for perhaps 500-1000RS you can construct a fake identity and then get a passport using the same documents.

I know because I did it for someone who had no proof of identity but we used their real name, birthplace etc but without any proof at all. I could have kept any name, birthplace and birthdate and all would have passed.

The truck signs were always fun to read. There is of course Horn OK Please. As well as stuff like – Buri nazar wale tera munh kaala.

But I loved the road signs too – Lane driving is sane driving. There was also something about drinking, which I can’t remember right now.

There is, of course, the corruption in terms of getting a license, etc. But the corruption doesn’t stop there. Take the cops, for instance. The number of times my friends would use their DIG father’s name or slip a Rs. 100 note to get out traffic violations – unbelievable.

Driving in India is actually very easy. You need three things – a working horn (if possible fit a triple air compression truck version and then they think you are a truck pullingh up behind), car control and a knowledge of your place in the pecking order. There are no other laws. Trucks and Buses have lots of accidents with each other because they have not yet worked out who is top dog. Below trucks in the pecking order come mini buses & jeeps, then cars, then putputs then motorbikes, then scooters then bicyles. Each just gives way to the one bigger. Its really as simple as that. I love driving in India, but would never go in anything other than a jeep.

Justforfun

Some drivers will also have ‘wait for signal’ painted on the back.

Basically (and as someone has stated), it’s a way of the driver behind the truck not only signalling to the truck driver that they are behind them and want to overtake – but for the truck driver to then look ahead and make sure the road is clear for the overtaking driver.

There is also a well known hand jesture for oncoming drivers that looks a little like a royal wave… as you see a driver approaching on the opposite side you offer the jesture which means ‘are there police / is there a police block – up ahead?’.