The traffic

I must tell you about the traffic here. As in Surabaya, and I suspect in the rest of Indonesia, the traffic has real character! What the hell does that mean? I will try to explain.

The roads are shared by horse-drawn carts (5%), push bikes (8%), pedicabs (15%), motor cycles and scooters (800%), cars (20%), pedestrians (500%), trucks and buses (4%). Many of the sides streets and some of the main streets are lined with vendors selling anything and everything. Many of the these are mobile and become part of the traffic mix. Traffic lights are rare and largely ignored anyway and there are lines marked on the roads but I am yet work out which side of the road they drive on! Put all this together, throw in some speed and it’s alive. All components travel at a different pace of course, bikes fastest and pedicabs (peddle cabs) slowest.

Riding the bikes are all sorts, ranging from young girls to whole families. Yes it isn’t uncommon to find mum, dad and two kids (have seen three) on these small bikes. I’ve even seen a young boy of about five years of age straddling the fuel tank with head rested on folded hands on the handlebars, fast asleep while dad weaves is way through the chaotic traffic. Amazingly this traffic works in a chaotic but functioning way. Drivers and riders do so with civility and calm. There is no agro. Horns and lights are used more to indicate intentions than abuse. And yes you can even chat on the mobile while you ride!