Highway symbiosis

Symbiosis is a biology term used to describe a relationship between two or more organisms that are unrelated taxonomically, but help each other survive in some way. When I refer to symbiosis on a Bangladesh highway, I mean many different forms of transportation using the same road and some how manage to get people to their destinations without (many) casualties. I've been using highways in Bangladesh for the better part of 10 months now, but I have yet to describe it in a blog post for you curious readers back home. I remembered this on a recent trip to and from Dhaka.

The Dhaka-Bogra highway is two lanes and undivided. I should say it is two lanes by markings of paint only; certainly it accommodates many more vehicles. The shoulder, for example, is a legitimate place to drive, as well as right down the middle if there is no oncoming traffic. Really, there is no place I have been in Bangladesh where lane markings have any say in where people drive.

The users of the road vary considerably. I will list them more or less from smallest to largest, which also happens to be least to greatest asphalt priority: chicken, duck, cat, dog, goat, child riding goat, human, bicycle, motorcycle, cow, cow pulling cart, rickshaw, vangari, rototiller thingy, autorickshaw, tempo, homemade tractor, tractor, car, pickup truck, small truck, small bus, big truck, big bus. The speed limit really is as fast as you can drive without hitting something else.

Passing ettiquette: Passing is acceptable in all circumstances, as long as your vehicle is faster than the one in front of you. Passing with oncoming traffic is not a problem; once your vehicle's nose is past the vehicle you are passing, said vehicle must hit the brakes to let you in front so the oncoming traffic does not hit you. If the oncoming traffic is of lower asphalt priority than you, they simply head to the shoulder.

Horn ettiquette: The horn is the most useful part of the vehicle. If the horn is broken, you might as well consider the vehicle totalled as it is not road worthy. Luckily, there are repair shops that advertise horn replacement, so no worries. The horn is mostly used whenever you are passing another vehicle. Because mirrors and signals apparently haven't been accepted by the general population, they are most necessary for the smaller vehicles in order to avoid getting crushed. The general rule when driving is to concern yourself only with what's ahead. Those behind and beside will make their presense known to you by the horn.

High-beam ettiquette: When driving at night, the horn is given a break and the high-beams are used instead (for the most part). When passing with oncoming traffic, the high-beams signal to the driver heading your way to slow down, or head to the shoulder. I just assume (almost definitely incorrectly) that Bangladeshis are immune to high-beam blindness.

You probably get the idea that highway driving is not for the faint of heart. Its an action packed adventure of dodging people, livestock and other vehicles while trying to drive as fast as possible. City driving is similar, but usually significantly slower. I have seen many totalled buses and trucks on the side of the highway, crushed into trees, rolled down embankments, etc.

MCC does not allow service workers to drive motorcycles in Dhaka because of how dangerous it is. Bangladeshis are very peaceful, but if a driver strikes and kills a pedestrian, an angry mob will soon form to lynch the driver and torch his/her vehicle and possibly other vehicles that happen to be present.

To paint this in a slightly more positive light: there probably are less fatal accidents per capita in Bangladesh than in Canada because vehicles are travelling slower. I said people drive as fast as possible, by realistically cars rarely hit 80 km/h on the highway. Also, there are not nearly enough paved roads in Bangladesh for all the vehicles to pass freely, so maybe this is the best method? My Western sensibilities tell me that well organized, enforceable traffic laws would work better, but in my heart I want to believe Bangladesh has it right. That said, I won't be shedding any tears for Bangladesh's highways when I head home in a couple weeks.

Ben