It takes me 25 minutes to reach my office on the bike. My neighborhood is full of single row houses of size large enough to be termed as rich-class. I start my ride narrating Satnam Waheguru. After the first right turn, after leaving my house, I pass by the Gurudwara of sector 38.
My experience of driving on roads of Chandigarh is mostly about comparing it with the traffic of Delhi, where I worked and lived for nine years. It is true to say that my life has been very comfortable after relocating to Chandigarh.
The roads of Chandigarh are well maintained, and they remain so post an extended monsoon season, as well. Though Chandigarh city has lost almost all of its roundabouts to increasing traffic, the traffic situation is not difficult as experienced by me in Delhi.
One of the roundabouts to be spared is Sector 37-38 roundabout that I turn right from, en route to my office. I do face traffic congestion at the circle due to an occasional impatient driver who prefers to brake at the last moment and disturbs the synced crossing of vehicles approaching from all the four directions.
Unlike Delhi, trees run a parallel to my entire stretch of route in Chandigarh. On sunny days, I deliberately stay on the left side of the road to avoid sharp sun rays. The halt at all the eight traffic signals may not exceed a minute, but the shade of trees is refreshing and comforting, offsetting the engine heat from cars in the traffic. The traffic movement is pretty disciplined, unlike in Delhi. The traffic personnel is seen standing at each traffic signal waiting to raise their first ticket of the day. So their presence ensures a discipline amongst drivers.
I drive past the sixth signal and take the right turn onto the International Airport road, towards Mohali- a close cousin of Chandigarh city in terms of design. The trees no longer run parallel after crossing over to Mohali.
The streets turn patchy and dusty. I drive past high-rise commercial and residential towers. As I drive further, concrete pavements replace greener ones of Chandigarh.
After taking the left turn from the T-point ahead, I am two kilometers away from my office while the airport is another four kilometers ahead. After a couple of corners in quick succession, I am on service road running parallel to the airport road. My office is the last building on the long stretch of offices towards the airport road.