From Lhasa to Kathmandu

So now, as we are home again, it's time to compare the different styles of traffic we experienced. Let's have a look at China traffic first:

In the cities traffic is running much slower than what we are used to in Germany. It's easy to go with the flow on a bike. The vehicles are very diverse (remember the post about e-mobility?). As there are so many e vehicles it's surprisingly calm in Beijing though they have a lot of traffic.

There are three things to watch: They are allowed to turn right at red lights. And they do! They always turn left, even if other vehicles are on the lane they have to cross. And they don't look when they go into the road. That sounds hard, but as everything is quite slow it's manageable.

One thing came to my mind just today: People are going more steady than here. You don't have this speeding or overtaking 10 meters in front of a red light. Also we didn't se any big cars racing. Also as a cyclist you can just go on the street. Just occupy a lane, even go side by side, nobody complains. They change to the other lane. A very different experience!

Outside the cities of course the traffic runs faster, but also here: You can take you space. Going about 900km on mostly federal roads we had less dangerous situations than on 2 hours of Bundestraße in Germany... they really stay behind you if they cannot pass!

Nepal is much more chaotic. The main rule seems to be: Go until something blocks your way. If you want to get onto another street you slowly push forward at the crossroads. While you do so the traffic will curve around you until it is not possible anymore and then it's your turn.

When you want to cross a road you have to start walking. There will be a channel opening for you. Keep on walking slowly but steadily, cars will go either in front or behind you.

Nonetheless traffic is dangerous in Nepal, especially outside of the cities. The roads are awful, busses and trucks a speeding and overtaking, there are a lot of roads in the mountains. I remember an article in the newspaper last year saying that between january and february there were 90 fatal accidents alone in the Kathmandu valley.Read more