I thought the bus drivers in India were insane but after riding local smoke-belching metal-monster buses down the Sri Lankan coast i'd say that these guys win. Wait at a bus stop and one comes screeching to walking pace and you jump in the back door - mid-jump the conductor shouts something that sounds like "alle alle" and the bus roars off again while you fight your way in to try and wedge yourself somewhere. The bus by now is at top speed and overtaking everything with 5 to 10 second blasts on the horn when approaching something. When i say overtaking I mean forcing cars on the other side off the road.. This seems perfectly acceptible to the person coming the other way. I don't have a particularly large self-preservation nodule but i feared for my life on several occasions. The funniest part is the absolute calm of the locals on the buses: men chatting, children laughing, grannies asleep!
The driver and conductor are a tight team. Barking commands up and down the bus: who's getting on who's getting off, waving arms when overtaking, collecting cash, choosing which Sri Lanka music to play on the big sound systems. The whole theatre is very interesting to watch.
The government buses are rickety old Tata buses, painted red. The private Leyland (slightly more expensive buses) are white and are totally customised as the driver/conductor team see fit. They're amazingly boasting: turbo injection, super-intercooler, express and all manner of flames, stickers and things hanging off the front. On the inside the seats and seat posts are patterned, the light fittings have trims, there's fancy curtains and Buddha items.My favourites are the absolutely fantastic flashing Buddha pictures with the Hindu gods flashing next to him.
When the bus stops all manner of people jump on and make their way down the aisle selling their wares. Food and posters/maps are the main fayre but today a gnarly man with one arm got on and started banging a tambourine against his stump while humming. I liked him and gave him 20 rupees.
Once at the destination and on checking my limbs were intact I had to smile and acknowledge the driver as I leapt from the bus (still moving) Good work sir! Does Sri Lanka have a bus racing team? It should!
I love the buses here. These are definitely one of the highlights of the trip. You can get a real feel for the culture.
The driver and conductor are a tight team. Barking commands up and down the bus: who's getting on who's getting off, waving arms when overtaking, collecting cash, choosing which Sri Lanka music to play on the big sound systems. The whole theatre is very interesting to watch.
The government buses are rickety old Tata buses, painted red. The private Leyland (slightly more expensive buses) are white and are totally customised as the driver/conductor team see fit. They're amazingly boasting: turbo injection, super-intercooler, express and all manner of flames, stickers and things hanging off the front. On the inside the seats and seat posts are patterned, the light fittings have trims, there's fancy curtains and Buddha items.My favourites are the absolutely fantastic flashing Buddha pictures with the Hindu gods flashing next to him.
When the bus stops all manner of people jump on and make their way down the aisle selling their wares. Food and posters/maps are the main fayre but today a gnarly man with one arm got on and started banging a tambourine against his stump while humming. I liked him and gave him 20 rupees.
Once at the destination and on checking my limbs were intact I had to smile and acknowledge the driver as I leapt from the bus (still moving) Good work sir! Does Sri Lanka have a bus racing team? It should!
I love the buses here. These are definitely one of the highlights of the trip. You can get a real feel for the culture.
we were told they use horns to communicate in sri lanka.
ReplyDelete1 honk is to say i am here & gonna overtake
2 honks to say thanks.
AMAZING
you totally took me back with this. they're driving skills are totally insane.
x
true. there is some communication happening - but not sure what a 10 second blast means!
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