DRIVING IN TRIVANDRUM ON 14TH JANUARY 2013

I was driving to Nanthencode to attend to my office at Devaswom Board Junction. As I entered the road in front of the Legislative Assembly from the fly over, I saw a commotion ahead. The traffic was heavy. I could not make out what was happening. I moved closer. I saw a badly damaged motor bike down on the road. There was a hold up. The vehicles behind the fallen bike stood still. There was a long line of vehicles in the two lanes. I was on the third lane. I could move ahead as there was no obstruction except broken pieces of glasses. A Police Officer in mufti signaled me to stop to enable somebody to cross the road apparently to help the fallen rider of the bike. I was allowed to proceed. I moved on. I could see parts of the bike strewn on the road. I had to switch over to the first lane to proceed to LMS  Junction and  Nathencode. As I changed the lane I saw a KSRTC Venad City Bus parked close to the Hanuman Temple. The bus was full of passengers. The driver was not in his enclosure. I presumed the bus must have hit the bike as it had switched from lane one to lane three. I did not see any blood on the road. It meant the rider was not injured fatally. There were two watch and ward staff and a Gun holding Police Officer at the gate of the Legislature Complex. I saw another traffic Police personnel running to the site of the accident. There was no way I could stop there.

I was shocked by what I had seen.

I took the turn to Nathencode at Museum Junction. It is always bumper to bumper traffic at that point. I saw a scooter rider overtake my car at that curve and cutting across to stop at the gate of Nilgiris on my left. I wondered why the person did not follow me and slowed down where he wanted to stop.

I reached Nanthencode Junction. I had to circle the round about to move on to my destination. As I was circling two bikes came from YMR to proceed to Museum. The one on the right stopped to let me through. The other did not and edged ahead. I slowed down to let him through. I was aghast to find another bike, the rider did not wear the helmet and a young woman was riding pillion, coming down from the opposite direction in the wrong track instead of circling the round about. The bike that was edging ahead somehow was stopped by the rider with inches to spare. Scared, I braked at once. The car stopped inches behind the bike. A multiple collision was averted. The bike that violated  traffic regulations went happily on its way. I saw the young woman mumble sorry to the startled rider. 

I thanked God for saving all of us from disaster.