Beating the traffic in Melbourne

As a temporary resident in Australia,  I have had my share of learning the ropes in almost every field. And chief among them is my driving experience; starting with the traffic lights, speed limits, and parking in the city.

It sure is a far cry from what I already knew. After months of trial and error, even shelling out huge fines, I share my story of driving in Melbourne.

During the very first week down under, I was asked whether I would like to drive or not. I flatly denied the offer. I was afraid of the numerous traffic signs and symbols, utterly unseen from where I come. And to top it up, I was afraid to cross the police here. They literally carry handguns.

An Epass for tolls and a dashcam hangs with the rear-view mirror.

Driving analogy

You see here in Melbourne, cars don't speed down the highway, they literally speeeed away. And secondly, the crossroads are not just simple roads crossing each other, they are a web of deceit, converging at previously unthought-of angles and lanes. Thirdly, stopping at traffic lights is a headache. You can never decide whether to keep an eye on the light, or the car in front of you, or on the mirrors so that a two-wheeler wouldn't just be nudging silently beside your car. Or even on your GPS, so that you don't miss your intended route. A mistake in a lane will cost you a couple of km along an unknown one-way.

But before I indulge you in my infringements, let me share a few observations as a commuter in Melbourne.

One thing noteworthy is that the cars over here are fully automatic. I mean, the gears are automatic, eliminating the need to have a clutch unlike in Bhutan. This makes the left foot utterly useless while driving.

Another thing is that drivers literally respect the lights. So does the pedestrians. It is a well-choreographed dance sequence at any crossroads. Except where there are no traffic lights. Then it is a game of belling the cat, playing hide-and-seek with the trams and the zooming cars, except there are no horns tooted at any time.

Ever think there are lesser honks in Thimphu than in Jaigaon? Then here there are NONE. No one uses their car-horns. But if someone does use it, then it is due to a serious breach by a driver ahead.

Toyota Yaris automatic, old but a sturdy horse.

Now back to my main story.

So, I bought a used-car off someone selling on Facebook marketplace. It didn't come cheap, but it was a Toyota, a sturdy machine. And I enjoyed re-learning how to drive an automatic vehicle.

But as I mentioned earlier, driving here is crazy. You are pulled into the false security provided by the absence of cops, notwithstanding the CCTVs in operations. There are signboards all over the place, warning of safety cameras in operation. Still the false security and the need for urgency bids you bend the rules a bit on every occasion.

So I did pay my share of fines and got demerit points, as listed below.

1. Red Light Offences

I missed the light by 0.9 seconds. I know so because it is mentioned in the infringement notice I received. What was appalling was that it was peak traffic and I was behind another car, stopped at a red light junction. But in my haste to beat the yellow light (you have to call it 'amber' here), I blindly followed the car in front. The fine crosses $400 with 4 demerit points.

Got this in the mail two weeks later.

2. Speeding Offence

I was 'caught' speeding at 107 at a 100 km speed limit freeway. And the place where I was 'caught' was some paved backroads. For speeding, it is around $150 fine, with 1 demerit point.

Incidentally, the camera was hand-held, not fixed ones.

This also came in the mail.

3. Parking Offence

I was fined for parking at no-parking zones. Technically, I was parked in a designated council parking, and a loading zone, but seems I didn't have a local permit. In my defence, there weren't a parking area free, even paid ones. Parking fines are around $100 - $150 with no demerit points.

This was stuck on my windshield.

4. Using Phones While Driving

I use Google Maps extensively while driving, else I will miss my lane or my junction. And until now I am free from prosecution of any kind since I have my phone (with Google Maps app) fixed on a stand on my dashboard. Thankfully, my car has an after-market bluetooth feature connected for two-way communication.

Otherwise, it is a hefty fine and more demerit points.

Conclusion.

I learned my lessons the hard way. Comparatively, paying fines are ok. But there are only 12 points in total for three years, and I am already short of 5. If my required points are not maintained, VicRoads (equivalent to RSTA) will suspend or even cancel my license.

The next step for me is my driving test with VicRoads at the end of this month.