[paragsachania]

I was wondering why no post about the recent condition of bad roads on NICE till I saw the last 2 posts today. Incidentally, this week itself I drove thrice on my way back from work (which otherwise is hardly once a week) and realised the horrid transformation of some of the sections, especially between Bannerghatta Road and Kanakpura Road.

The one in front of Purvankara Apartment is the worst where I noticed even 2 wheeler riders wanting to get onto the fast lane as the shoulder (meant for 2 wheelers) and the slow lane had gone really bad and become dangerous to even sway their handlebars to change lanes. On yesterday I noticed the bad section had spread to the fast lane too.

Thankfully, I travel back between 1400-1500 when traffic is really thin and this is one section where you have a fast gradient and everyone is at a higher speed and during peak times (1800-1930) I wonder if there would be any incidents due to last minute lane changes or braking by most of them who would be taken by this surprise.

I would love to say this anyway - NICE was never nice when it came to good roads and they won't improve. Enough said!

[sagarpadaki]

Yes. Sunday night's torrential rain has spoiled the roads. I wonder what is the quality of surfacing they do for it to not even hold up to one rainy season. The entire stretch from Cloverleaf to Hosur road was resurfaced in 2017 April-May. The subsequent rains tore away the top surface in some areas and they patched it up. This year, one night of heavy rain and the result is craters on the road.

One pays the expensive toll and get roads that are deathtraps, on top of it we have to bear with the rowdy employees right from the toll operators to various heads. God forbid if you have an accident or breakdown on this road. The way the authorities behave is not less than how any rowdy sheeter will talk with you - Full of arrogance and no compassion and no hesitation even to get physical roughing up the users of the road. Absolute hooligan way of running the show. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no fast option is reach the other part of the city and one has to bear with them.

[autospeaker]

Had to drive late last night around 10.30 pm, and I found it extremely difficult to drive in this "NICE" road. With incessant rains, there are pot holes everywhere and absolutely no grip on braking over those. The white lines are not visible either. I had to actually drive blindly, just presuming the existence of the road under the vehicle. Big trucks driving besides me, splashing the water on the windscreen just added to the problem.

They charge the country's highest per km toll and the road condition is just pathetic. It's actually life threatening. Thank god I reached home safe.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

The entire stretch from Cloverleaf to Hosur road was resurfaced in 2017 April-May. The subsequent rains tore away the top surface in some areas and they patched it up.
One pays the expensive toll and get roads that are deathtraps, on top of it we have to bear with the rowdy employees right from the toll operators to various heads. Absolute hooligan way of running the show. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no fast option is reach the other part of the city and one has to bear with them.

What everyone of us have to know is, the primary objective of this project was to build concrete roads, till then imposing a toll on users itself is a criminal offence. The cloverleaf stretch was initially proposed to be a free way for public. They are collecting toll just by providing an asphalted road which wears out during rainy season. The driving manners of truck drivers is a big nuisance during night and early morning. This road is no longer safe for 2 wheelers and new drivers.

[bhansali_hardik]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

True it's really pathetic. All this deterioration has been in the last 1 week after this unexpected rain that's battering this part of the city from last Sunday. For motorbikes, braking will imminently lead to a skid and fall in many parts especially in the direction towards EC. looking at the history, they'll only patch it up after this rains stop.

It's a private property and their arrogance is expected. They are not expected to be at our service. IIRC only the BMIC is not private property but the PRR is.

The charge us for the service, if they cannot provide service for what they charge they shouldn't offer it! It's a different tangent if we get into specifics. But had this happened in any other part of our country things would be different.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

I was wondering why no post about the recent condition of bad roads on NICE till I saw the last 2 posts today. Incidentally, this week itself I drove thrice on my way back from work (which otherwise is hardly once a week) and realised the horrid transformation of some of the sections, especially between Bannerghatta Road and Kanakpura Road.

The one in front of Purvankara Apartment is the worst where I noticed even 2 wheeler riders wanting to get onto the fast lane as the shoulder (meant for 2 wheelers) and the slow lane had gone really bad and become dangerous to even sway their handlebars to change lanes. On yesterday I noticed the bad section had spread to the fast lane too.

Thankfully, I travel back between 1400-1500 when traffic is really thin and this is one section where you have a fast gradient and everyone is at a higher speed and during peak times (1800-1930) I wonder if there would be any incidents due to last minute lane changes or braking by most of them who would be taken by this surprise.

I would love to say this anyway - NICE was never nice when it came to good roads and they won't improve. Enough said!

Shoulder is meant to be shoulder! It's not meant for 2 wheelers. 2 wheelers get pushed to ride on to the shoulder, where these days even the cars and buses ply. As there is no tarmac left on the road. Only shoulder survives. Simple Indian logic, 4wheelers>2wheelers>pedestrians. Cyclists are stuck between all 3. But this is not how it's supposed to work.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Yes. Sunday night's torrential rain has spoiled the roads. I wonder what is the quality of surfacing they do for it to not even hold up to one rainy season. The entire stretch from Cloverleaf to Hosur road was resurfaced in 2017 April-May. The subsequent rains tore away the top surface in some areas and they patched it up. This year, one night of heavy rain and the result is craters on the road.

One pays the expensive toll and get roads that are deathtraps, on top of it we have to bear with the rowdy employees right from the toll operators to various heads. God forbid if you have an accident or breakdown on this road. The way the authorities behave is not less than how any rowdy sheeter will talk with you - Full of arrogance and no compassion and no hesitation even to get physical roughing up the users of the road. Absolute hooligan way of running the show. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no fast option is reach the other part of the city and one has to bear with them.

We pay the highest toll, which would mean we should be demanding. Good bless India it's the other way round. Sadly we don't have an option to skip traffic and get to the destination. Public transport is another joke. If all the users start complaining I'm sure they will at least consider working on things quicker.

Originally Posted by autospeaker

Had to drive late last night around 10.30 pm, and I found it extremely difficult to drive in this "NICE" road. With incessant rains, there are pot holes everywhere and absolutely no grip on braking over those. The white lines are not visible either. I had to actually drive blindly, just presuming the existence of the road under the vehicle. Big trucks driving besides me, splashing the water on the windscreen just added to the problem.

They charge the country's highest per km toll and the road condition is just pathetic. It's actually life threatening. Thank god I reached home safe.

I pray each day twice! while getting to office and back home! A couple of days rain and the road vanishes on the private managed infra! They might be private, but they surely are better than government!

[mpksuhas]

Haven't noticed any post here mentioning the same, hence putting it across though its few months old news.

Seems Somapura entry to NICE road is blocked due to some land related dispute. Hence if you want to get on to NICE road from Uttarahalli side, you either have to take Hoskarahalli entry or Kanakpura road entry.

Somapura exit gate is still working.

[hemanth.anand]

A small technology addition has happened on NICE road since a month-handheld Bar code readers have been given to EC exit toll booth operators. Probably this helps them to avoid people who getaway with buying a smaller amount of toll than the usage.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

A small technology addition has happened on NICE road since a month-handheld Bar code readers have been given to EC exit toll booth operators. Probably this helps them to avoid people who getaway with buying a smaller amount of toll than the usage.

That is adding to the delay at the exit, there are long queues at ECity exit during the peak hours. Every additional seconds adds up to create the queue.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

A small technology addition has happened on NICE road since a month-handheld Bar code readers have been given to EC exit toll booth operators.

I noticed this at Link-Road/PESIT Exit too.

The scanning during exit here strictly happens depending on whether the booth operator was a served a good breakfast by his folks at home or he had a bad start for the day.

2 out of 5 times, they have scanned and rest of the 3 times they have usually made use of their microscopic vision to read the receipt (exit) and let me go.

Talking about technology addition and NICE, They seem to be the last one to embrace any technology for that matter .

[avira_tk]

I've some new found respect for NICE after using coimbatore by pass and the highways in Kerala. Last week my BIL got to the airport in time thanks to NICE.

NICE is a dual carriageway at least, CBE bypass is what NHs were 30 years ago with tolls that are set at levels seen nowhere else in the Bangalore - Avinash stretch. I don't know how this scam is allowed to operate unhindered. Kerala highways with low speed limits, dangerous driving, narrow lanes, traffic lights and plain harassment make road trips absolutely miserable.

[paragsachania]

Received this mail from NICE just now.

Smartcards to be issued to ePay customers:

Dear Sir/Madam,

We thank you for using NICE Road and for being our valued NICE e-Pay Customers.

To ease the transaction hurdles at toll booths, we had introduced the NICE e-Pay cashless toll fee payment facility with confirmation of transaction through SMS.



In order to protect the interest of e-Pay customers, we are happy to inform the users that we have further enhanced our security system by enabling transaction through smart cards to all the NICE e-Pay registered vehicles. Henceforth, NICE e-Pay registered vehicles should validate their transaction at all NICE Toll booths with smart cards. In general all NICE e-Pay registered vehicles can use the facility with SMART CARD only. We will let you know the start date of operations with smart cards very shortly.

Smart cards will be issued based on the type of vehicle (Car, bus, truck, LCV, MAV and Two Wheeler).

Initially, NICE e-Pay registered vehicles will be issued toll tickets after validating with their smart cards during entry and the same should be produced compulsorily at all exits. Subsequently, we will be introducing ‘Tap and Go’ system wherein the smart cards should be validated both at entry and exit thereby, toll fee will be debited from your account based on the distance travelled. To reduce the waiting time at toll booths and towards ‘save environment’ initiative tickets will not be issued.

The cost of each smart card will be of Rs. 50/- (Rupees, Fifty only) and it will be charged to respective NICE e-Pay account only. Issuances of number of cards are limited to number of vehicles registered with NICE e-Pay.

You can collect your cards from our site office any time during office hours (10:00 to 17:30 HRS).



Also cards can be collected from the toll plazas mentioned below between 8.00 and 19.30 Hrs

1. Bannerghatta toll plaza

2. Mysore road toll plaza

3. Tumkur road toll plaza

4. Link road toll plaza



We request you to kindly collect your smart cards from any of the above mentioned toll plaza at the earliest. If you need any assistance, please feel free to contact the undersigned, we are happy to serve you.

Thanks and Regards,

NICE e-Pay team

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Received this mail from NICE just now.

#metoo paragsachania
I mean even I recieved the email

I went to NICE office at the clover leaf/Sompura junction and collected my smart cards. It was just a 10 minute task and all they asked me was the registered phone number. So apart from the 4 gates mentioned, the Sompura office is another place where we can collect the cards from. EC Gate also should've been there IMO. Since I had registered 2 Vehicles, he asked if I wanted cards for both vehicles. On confirmation charged 100 rupees from my epay acoount(50 per card) and gave me 2 cards.





The person told me that the first phase will be implemented by next week. We can use that card to validate at the entry gate and the usual receipt will be given which we can show at the exit gate. Like a prepaid card.

He told that in around a month's time the next phase will be implemented. Then user's will have the tap and go option. Users must once scan at entry and once at the exit gate. The toll will then be deducted based on that it seems. No paper reciept. He also showed me a scanner and told that something similar to that will be at the gates.

I feel the first phase will be actually slower than the current epay method at the toll. But the tap and go will be faster. And also no paper receipt.

In other news Sompura entry is now open.

[yajaman99]

Interesting i did not get the mail, however as i use E-Pay the toll booth attendant asked me collect the card from the office.
When i asked the person in the office what is the benefit for this he was not aware.
So i just took the card.
When i saw him put the card on the reader i thought it might be like the Bangalore Metro cards and the mail clearly explains the same.
Good going NICE road, saves a lot of paper tickets.

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Received this mail from NICE just now.
Smartcards to be issued to ePay customers:

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

#metoo paragsachania
I mean even I recieved the email

I too collected the smart cards for my cars from NICE office at Bannerghatta toll plaza. They have different colour cards depending on the category of vehicle. They issue the card against a specific registration number and once it was issued, it was highlighted in red colour in their system. But when they read the card back to check if everything went fine, the info from the card showed only my name, phone number etc. and no registration number. If this is the case, I have a feeling that a single card might work for all your vehicles, if there is no specific number validation when it becomes fully automatic.
The office staff informed me that there will be dedicated lanes for the Smart card, once it becomes fully operational. For example, the first two lanes at EC toll plaza has e-Pay boards for quite some time.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

I too collected the smart cards for my cars from NICE office at Bannerghatta toll plaza. They have different colour cards depending on the category of vehicle. They issue the card against a specific registration number and once it was issued, it was highlighted in red colour in their system.

Yes, Green colour cards are for cars, 2 wheelers, LCV and MAV will have different colours.

But when they read the card back to check if everything went fine, the info from the card showed only my name, phone number etc. and no registration number. If this is the case, I have a feeling that a single card might work for all your vehicles, if there is no specific number validation when it becomes fully automatic.

The NICE employee told me that one card will work for all vehicles in that account. But If you take different cards for each vehicle, the card can be in the vehicle and no need to carry it. Also transport companies like Sharma or SRS will have one account and 100s of buses. they can give one card for each driver/vehicle. It can be used in whichever way it suits the user.

The office staff informed me that there will be dedicated lanes for the Smart card, once it becomes fully operational. For example, the first two lanes at EC toll plaza has e-Pay boards for quite some time.

That would be nice