This Indian city has no traffic jams and no honking due to…; not Guwahati, Shimla, Srinagar, Indore, the city is…

Aizawl traffic: Traffic snarls and delirious honking by car owners that would make even the sanest person furious with anger, are the two things that terrorize every Indian whenever we plan on leaving our home, especially in a private vehicle. But did you know that there is a city in India which is completely free of traffic jams and drivers don’t indiscriminately blast their car horns just for the heck of it.

This might sound like fantasy, but Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram in Northeast India, offers just what we claimed; no traffic jams, and minimum to no honking, across its length and breadth.

Only Indian city with no traffic jams

While most of India’s major urban centers are notorious for their traffic woes, including less populous places like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, etc, Aizawl stands out as a shining example of what every Indian city could be if traffic was well managed and car owners followed the rules out of their own consciousness to keep their city noise free.

Unlike other Indian cities and urban centers, one would rarely witness drivers honking while waiting for the traffic light to hit green, instead, vehicle owners can be seen waiting patiently in long lines, with engines turned off.

What’s the secret behind Aizawl’s serene traffic?

So, what’s the big secret behind the calm traffic in Aizawl? No, its not aggressive policing or a strict implementation of traffic rules. The secret lies in the culture of Mizoram, which emphasizes discipline and civic responsibility as core values strictly followed by residents of this breathtaking Northeastern state.

The uncanny orderliness of traffic in Aizawl has left many stunned, including foreign and domestic visitors, who marvel at how the roads in the city are quiet and serene, unlike a majority of urban hubs in India and across the world. Besides its orderly traffic, Aizawl is also famous for its cleanliness, and one would rarely find anyone littering on the streets.

Interestingly, this highly mature civic behavior of Mizos is not enforced with the help of heavy fines or strict policing, but stems from a deeply-rooted sense social conscience and moral code among the community, which cherishes good public behavior. This essentially translates into how the Mizos behave on the road and in traffic.

Patience is valued, while rude acts like constant honking are considered impolite, thus avoided.

Aizawl is a living example of how personal morals and a strong civic sense can serve as better tools for traffic management and orderliness, than policing or heavy fines.

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