Before today,I have been here several times.
And the among the many unique things here, I have found the traffic so busy because of facilities, you are provided at a single point.You can see hundreds of Yellow taxies, plying on the road.If you know the route the drivers will happily start their faulty meters.If You don’t know the route they will ask whether you will go on meter or shall prefix the fare.This is where a new comer fails to decide, if he/she takes the meter option then be sure the driver will explore a new longer route that day for the destination If u take the second option of prefixing the price the poor traveler will loose the bargain to prefix the fare.
If you are smart and can take the the medium class’s poor vehicle,the local buses.On the buses be prapared to sit on “high rise seats”,nothing to hold for support. Yes if you are standing, you will be provided the facility to hold the bar on the roof. Beware! when the driver will take the sudden brake, you can never guess. Sitting inside the bus you cannot see, what the driver is seeing in front of the bus,how hard you try, I bet!
I cannot miss to describe the Tram , you may call it the mini train on road. But if You are an outsider, you may not know the source and destination.I have travelled in it from MG Road to College street.When I asked for ticket to the contactor or TTE ( I don’t know what they are called) after I have travelled 2 minutes and got struck into the jam for 5 minutes. They did not gave me ticket. Because I had travelled hardly 200 meters. I got down. It was a free trip.
You have another option of autorickshaw but few in numbers.
But if you like to enjoy sitting higher and an inhuman ride. Seek for the rickshaws pulled by some human.I feel more sorry when I see my Bihari brothers have adopted this profession in large number. What a pathetic situation is it? One man sitting like BABU and other person full of sweat and red face pulling the so proud Babu !
Ok you are tired of these transportation on land. Get down the earth of Kolkata, you will find Metro railway. Oh I remember it when I travelled 11 years ago in my Navodaya Vidyalaya sponsored trip. You will feel in a better position now. At least below the earth there are some travel rules existing.
Water tranport on the Hugli river is also nice experience. But If you don’t know to swim the big rivers, be good at putting your legs when you get on it and get down from it.
Otherwise who knows there are professional lifesavers or not!!!!