Getting There By Road
For those willing to brave Delhi’s notorious roads, driving is, in principle, on the left and foreign drivers must be over 18 and in possession of an International Driving Permit. Beyond that, there are few rules that are either adhered to or enforced. The consensus is that it is far safer to use taxis or hire a car with a driver for longer journeys. National Highways are designated by a number.
The legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.03%. Third party insurance is mandatory as per the Indian Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. Those intending to take their own car to India must obtain a carnet from one of the international motoring associations (such as RAC or AA) before entering the country. This document represents an undertaking that the car will not remain in India for more than six months. Most European motor insurance policies do not extend to India and motorists are advised to seek cover from an Indian insurer, as insurance is compulsory.
Automobile Association of Upper India (tel: (011) 2696 5397; website: www.aaui.org) provides further information.
Emergency breakdown service: The AAUI provides a 24-hour breakdown service.
Routes to the city: Five National Highways pass through Delhi, making the city a hub of the country’s road system. The most important of these are the Grand Trunk Road (National Highway 1) from Amritsar in the north, Mathura Road from Agra in the south, National Highway 2 from Calcutta in the east, and Gurgaon Road or National Highway 8 from Jaipur in the west. The construction of a peripheral expressway to the west of the city, linking it more efficiently to the national road network, has been proposed.
Approximate driving times to the city: From Agra - 2 hours 15 minutes; Jaipur - 2 hours 45 minutes; Amritsar - 4 hours 45 minutes.
Coach services: Delhi is linked by bus services (air conditioned, deluxe and ordinary) to all major destinations in northern India. The Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT) (tel: (011) 2386 8836), at Kashmir Gate, north of Old Delhi railway station, is the terminus for all intercity bus services. Facilities include left-luggage, bank, post office, pharmacy and restaurant. There are two other ISBTs in Delhi and together they cater for more than 150,000 passengers and 3300 buses per day. State operators based here include Delhi Transport Corporation (tel: (011) 2386 8836; website: http://dtc.nic.in), Haryana Roadways (tel: (011) 2386 1262), Himachal Pradesh Roadways (tel: (011) 2386 8694), Punjab Roadways (tel: (011) 2386 7842), Rajasthan Roadways (tel: (011) 2386 1246) and Uttar Pradesh Roadways (tel: (011) 2386 8709).
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Getting There By Road