[Pam81]

Originally Posted by hangover

Those are all ancient Ashok Leyland's, are they not? And have speed governors.

How did they overtake an i20?

Are you referring to them overtaking while coming towards you? Meaning, facing you and taking the whole road?

Else all the Hyundai guys will get upसेट!

They did not overtake me. I was behind them and trying to pass them.

Couple of times it happened both on Hubli 2 lane road and also on 4-Lane road.

In both situations, I was behind the NWKRTC bus. This bus driver, trying to overtake the vehicle in front of him (a TATA 407 in 2 lane road). What made be terrified is his either his poor judgement & tryout even for a small gap between the front vehicle ahead of the bus & the oncoming vehicle in the other lane or aggressive driving. He goes out till the middle and brakes and comes back in.

In another situation on a 4 lane hwy, I honked and proceeded to pass the bus on the right lane, this guy did not object (no signals though!) by maintaining steady speeds on his course, when I was in the middle of overtaking, suddenly signaled me to slow-down and he started to steer right side toward me. Crazy, honked heavily and hard-braked and he went back to left lane and allowed me to pass. There was a 2 Wheeler on his left and he does not want to brake. It is his dilemma, whether to brake or not to brake. Either he should have signaled me in the first place before I make an attempt to pass or slow down himself.

I do not know if it's old AL buses. Nicely painted and to me looked to be in good condition. My experience with these buses is not speed but their dilemma & maneuvering. Lot like fish-tailing.

[nitheeshsreeram]

Originally Posted by ndalal02

Planning to travel to Mumbai next month from Bangalore. Does anyone know if the FASTTAG has been implemented ? Is it worth buying or better paying cash at the toll plaza.

As other members have mentioned you can see a fastag line in almost every toll station but all vehicles with or without the tag takes this line defeating the whole purpose of fastag. Just keep enough 100 rs denomination notes and be aware of idiots who keep cutting lanes at the toll station.

[bp74]

Please update on road condition from Satara to pune?
And which route is better & faster for shirdi from satara?
option 1:- Satara > Pune > Ahmednagar> shirdi
option 2:- Satara > lonand > kedagaon> shirur> ahmednager>shirdi

[nitheeshsreeram]

Originally Posted by bp74

Please update on road condition from Satara to pune?

Road is decent but lot of deviations due to six lane work. Average speed will be less on this route.

[aniketbapat]

Traveled Bglr-Mumbai Sunday 29th November here are some updates
I drive the Etios Liva GD, Started at 630 am from JP Nagar and reached New Panvel at 730pm with about 2 hours of breaks with my wife and 2 yr kid.

- NICE road is not the smoothest but not bad either nothing compared to ORR in hyderabad though .
- Post NICE(or so called nice road ) road till Tumkur expect traffic but can maintain pretty good speed
- From Tumkur to Nipani its nirvana on road , one of the best roads i have travelled on keep getting a kick out of it everytime i have driven here ...toooo good (there is a stretch of about 30km near hubli which is one lane road but no traffic pretty good road. So good speeds manageable even there)
- Kolhapur , Satara is a nightmare with numerous 2 wheeler's and sugarcane tractors/carts on the sides ,its 2 lane one side , managed good speed but expect a few jams along the way due to the same
- I think there were more diversions while coming back from Banglore on Satara stretch but nothing to worry about , mostly good roads on the diversions
- Post Satara till Pune expressway expect a lot of traffic , i got a lot of traffic in the ghat sections around 90km from Pune , which always seems to be the case (specially when going from Mum to Bglore)
- Pune traffic is horrible specially if you reach anywhere in between 4-7 pm , probably will be worse on weekdays after 530-6pm but i have travelled back mostly on Sundays

Where did i eat ?
- I am a big fan of PAI Resorts (http://pairesorts.in/)at Belgaum , its just perfectly located and has all types of meals , when travelling to or coming from Banglore its pretty much in the middle of the journey around 500 km and very close to the highway so perfect , have also stayed there a couple of times its the best
- for afternoon tea/snacks when coming from banglore i prefer the kamats which is i think about 140km before pune .
- i have also tried the ksrtc athitya couple of times wen going to Banglore, its about 70-80km before tumkur when going to bglore , its got good coffee and south indian snacks only.

Any challenges other than not wanting to take a break till Kolhapur and constantly getting reminded by wife to slow down !!
- A major challenge specially when travelling with kids or family is finding clean washrooms , reliance petrol pump washroom seems to be the cleanest
- Long waiting times at toll booths specially in Maharashtra and people wanting to cut lanes etc , i spent about 30 mins at taswade and about 15 mins at toll before that , in karnataka i didnt spend more than 5 mins at any of the tolls , really hate the chaos at taswade everytime and it doesnt seem to improve in my many travels to Bangalore .

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by bp74

Please update on road condition from Satara to pune?

There have been many posts that refer to the section between Kolhapur-Pune as horrible, insane, disastrous and what not!

I blame this completely on the fact that the drivers witness a transformation in terms of major differentiator called density which is way different between Karnataka and Maharashtra.

A sudden increase in traffic is what you get greeted with as soon as you slot and get into MH after Kognoli toll.

Having had a dream run for those 600 kms from Bangalore without even touching the brake pedal or swerving lanes, the next 240 kms is what makes anyone get annoyed mainly due to the body and mind which had seen some super fast & empty stretches over the last 9-10 hours!

So, its all natural and happens with all of us.

On Road Conditions between Kolhapur-Satara-Pune:

I drove Bangalore-Aurangabad via Pune and back 3 weeks before and have the following to update you-

Kolhapur-Satara section has got fresh layer of tarmac and it does make driving better compared to what it was in the month of July when it was only partially resurfaced.

Mind you, if one has driven from Bangalore to Kolhapur and drives on this section, he may not have great things to talk about only because the comparison starts but in reality, a regular on this section like me noticed this welcome change instantly as we were able to maintain 100 post Kolhapur bypass without any bumpy ride.

Satara-Pune is undergoing 6 lane work and it is still in Progress.

The good bits despite the 6 lane work - Sections which are expanded are well marked now including the medians and shoulders. The diversions onto the service lanes also have good roads unlike what it was last year.

It only gets tough to negotiate here when you have chosen a wrong time and day as traffic density is high. Otherwise not a big deal at all.

My advise and I always follow that - Keep driving when the rest of the world has stopped for Lunch. That way you are assured of thin traffic and less waiting time at all the toll booths. I usually finish lunch either by 1230pm or after 0230pm so that I keep driving between this slot and make good progress.

And which route is better & faster for shirdi from satara?
option 1:- Satara > Pune > Ahmednagar> shirdi
option 2:- Satara > lonand > kedagaon> shirur> ahmednager>shirdi

Option 2 any day and that is mainly because of the 2 primary reasons:

1. Satara-Lonad is a Sugarcane belt and its just about the season. You will have to crawl following train of tractors on narrow roads while you would otherwise cruise at 80-90 on the regular highway
   
2. In terms of time saver, this is not a great option at all. Been there, done that and knowing how it never made any difference, I always enter Pune, Bypass and then continue for Aurangabad

On Bypassing Pune for Ahmednagar Road:
My earlier Standard route was reach Katraj Bus Depot via New Bypass and then Swargate-Shankarsheth Road - Camp - Race Course (Sholapur Road) - Magarpatta - Kharadi - Wagholi and then turn right for Nagar Road.

What I suggest today - New Bypass - Sinhaghad Road - Dandekar Bridge - Sarasbaug - Swargate - Shankarsheth Road - Camp - Race Course (Sholapur Road) - Magarpatta - Kharadi - Wagholi and then turn right for Nagar Road.

This is because if one takes the Katraj Depot to Swargate road, it is marred by flyover construction activities and has taken away a lot of road width and with Satara Road being a Major entry point into Pune has a lot of traffic density that one must avoid at peak hours. Additionally, Sinhagad road towards City in evening has lesser traffic compared to the other corridor where office goers are returning back to their homes.

The bypass route I took was exactly 59 minutes (as I recorded) soon after i exited Pune Bypass (NH4) at Navale for Sinhghad Road (04:56pm) for a distance of 21.xx kms on a Saturday evening. So I was on Ahmednagar Road at 0600pm ready to clock another 220 kms for Aurangabad.

Similarly for return you can take Nagar Road all the way till Yerawada Bridge, then Pune RTO - Sangam Bridge - Sancheti Flyover - JM Road - LB Shastri Road - Sinhaghad Road and finally Satara Road. This is mainly because there will be lot of traffic specially on Sholapur Road towards the city if you are passing this in morning or evenings as well.
The real pain:
Wagholi (Nagar Road) - Shirur is a stretch on Ahmadnagar road that passes through a lot of petty villages and suburbs. Equal density of traffic will be exiting and entering Pune after 6pm. There are at least 4-6 Major intersections in each of these suburbs which is well managed by cops but one still has to crawl while passing these.

A simple advise - Stick to the left most lane every time you sense there is a possible slow moving or crawling traffic ahead. In most cases you will find someone waiting next to the median to make a U/Right turn. This is specially true for Pune-Shirur stretch!!

Post Shirur traffic decreases and you can maintain 90-100. There are toll booths between Pune and Ahmadnagar but none of them charge you. So you need not slow down and scratch your head trying to find what is the amount to pay. They will just make you stop at the booth for 10 seconds and open the barricade and you pass. This is after the recent ruling by the MH Administration.

When you are nearing Ahmadnagar, you will notice a blue signage (Well marked) on the left hand side marked for Mumbai/Nashik/Shirdi. This is supposed to be Ahmednagar Bypass but only name sake as the road conditions are not favorable.

Instead you can enter Ahmednagar and take the route for Shirdi from inside soon after crossing the Railway Overbridge at Ahmadnagar.

[cool_dube]

+1 to Parag's post above. I did Pune-Bangalore last weekend and there is indeed a stark contrast b/w the Pune-Satara-Kolhapur stretch and the section beyond that. The frequent diversions and heavy 2-wheeler traffic do end up irritating you b/w the Pune-Kolhapur stretch whereas as you enter KA, the roads and the traffic are much much better. Needless to say, the Chitradurga-Tumkur 6-laner is lip smacking. Even my Gypsy was loving it

Tumkur onwards, however, the usual pain starts - roads deteriorate as well as local traffic increases.

[agd19682]

I have a question for the people who frequent the Bangalore-Pune route. I just traveled from Bangalore to Kharadi, Pune yesterday i.e. on Tuesday, 15th December 2015 and while crossing Satara, I was presented with 2 route options:

1. The normal Satara-Pune highway
2. The Hadapsar>Wadki>Jadhavwadi>Saswad>Narayanpur>Diwale route

This being my first drive along this route, I ended up taking the Satara-Pune highway. This route, though good had a lot of diversions and uneven roads and I had to drive through the city.

My question to everyone here is whether anyone has traveled via route #2 mentioned above. Is that a good route? Are the roads in a good condition? I actually did ask a few of the people in Satara and they seemed mostly unaware of the route, not to mention the road conditions.

I will be traveling back to Bangalore on 18th and would prefer to take this route if the conditions are favorable. Any comments/suggestions/personal experiences of that route would be greatly appreciated.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by agd19682

My question to everyone here is whether anyone has traveled via route #2 mentioned above. Is that a good route? Are the roads in a good condition? I actually did ask a few of the people in Satara and they seemed mostly unaware of the route, not to mention the road conditions.

Not a viable option. Regular road is still fastest and you don't gain much in terms of time.

Also, option 2 will be single carriageway passing lot of petty towns and villages and miscellaneous traffic.

Pune-Satara/Satara-Pune even with current diversions is way better to what it was exactly an year before. Stick to the standard route.

[agd19682]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Not a viable option. Regular road is still fastest and you don't gain much in terms of time.

Also, option 2 will be single carriageway passing lot of petty towns and villages and miscellaneous traffic.

Pune-Satara/Satara-Pune even with current diversions is way better to what it was exactly an year before. Stick to the standard route.

Thanks for the help Parag.


PS: The write-up of your numerous trips along this route was the source of my inspiration for driving the whole way. Also, the list of eateries and petrol bunks that you compiled a few pages ago helped a lot

[sarinkumar]

Originally Posted by agd19682

I have a question for the people who frequent the Bangalore-Pune route. I just traveled from Bangalore to Kharadi, Pune yesterday i.e. on Tuesday, 15th December 2015 and while crossing Satara, I was presented with 2 route options:

1. The normal Satara-Pune highway
2. The Hadapsar>Wadki>Jadhavwadi>Saswad>Narayanpur>Diwale route

This being my first drive along this route, I ended up taking the Satara-Pune highway. This route, though good had a lot of diversions and uneven roads and I had to drive through the city.

My question to everyone here is whether anyone has traveled via route #2 mentioned above. Is that a good route? Are the roads in a good condition? I actually did ask a few of the people in Satara and they seemed mostly unaware of the route, not to mention the road conditions.

I will be traveling back to Bangalore on 18th and would prefer to take this route if the conditions are favorable. Any comments/suggestions/personal experiences of that route would be greatly appreciated.

I have used this route a month back to go to Kohlapur. The road is in good condition and I would suggest to use this one. You will merge with NH4 at Kapurhol. From Hadapsar to Kapurhol is around 1 hour to 1hour 15 min.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by sarinkumar

I have used this route a month back to go to Kohlapur. The road is in good condition and I would suggest to use this one. You will merge with NH4 at Kapurhol. From Hadapsar to Kapurhol is around 1 hour to 1hour 15 min.

From Hadapsar if it has taken 1h15m to reach Kapurhol, then I really don't see this as a time saver at all.

Last month it took me 56 minutes from Shinhagad Road to Wagholi (beyond 6 kms after Hadapsar) which means It would have taken less around 40 minutes till Hadapsar. If I account time between Kapurhol and Shinhagad Road, I will add another 30 minutes to this including wait at Khedshivpur Toll. Even then its not much of a time saver there.

However, it might just be a good option during peak hours.

[sarinkumar]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

From Hadapsar if it has taken 1h15m to reach Kapurhol, then I really don't see this as a time saver at all.

Last month it took me 56 minutes from Shinhagad Road to Wagholi (beyond 6 kms after Hadapsar) which means It would have taken less around 40 minutes till Hadapsar. If I account time between Kapurhol and Shinhagad Road, I will add another 30 minutes to this including wait at Khedshivpur Toll. Even then its not much of a time saver there.

However, it might just be a good option during peak hours.

What time did you travel from Hadapsar to Wagholi. 15 min is too optimistic knowing the traffic on Kharadi bye pass.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by sarinkumar

What time did you travel from Hadapsar to Wagholi. 15 min is too optimistic knowing the traffic on Kharadi bye pass.

On a weekend and hence it took just 15 minutes. On return I knew this will be jammed and I took Yerawada Ruby Hall Sangam Bridge RTO Sancheti JM Road option that was relatively faster opposed to Kharadi due to less Tech companies.

I usually do my homework when I want to bypass Pune even before Googlemaps days as I have lived there and worked too

Edit: On a Saturday evening between 5 and 6pm is what I meant.

[Dr.AD]

Thanks to everyone for all the very valuable information in this thread.

I am a regular Bangalore-Pune/Mumbai driver, and have driven this route numerous times in one day. However, this time I have a different situation and hence a question to the experts here:

I plan to drive Bangalore-Mumbai next week with my wife. Since my wife does not want to do this in one day (too exhausting for her), and we anyways have some time in hand, we want to do this in 2 days. This means we need an overnight halt. I know there are some good options near Hubli and Belgaum for stay, but I was wondering if there is anything (even with a bit of diversion/detour) that will give us a "holiday feel"? Are there any resorts which we can enjoy and actually spend some time instead of a routine overnight stop on the highway?

I am ready to take a detour if there is any interesting option nearby. Basically I want to make it a fun/vacation drive for my wife with a nice resort stay in-between, instead of a routine drive with an overnight hotel stay.

As an example, I was thinking of Nisarg Resort near Kolhapur. Has anybody stayed there? What are your suggestions? Or do you guys suggest some other route where we can have an interesting overnight break?

I will really appreciate any tips/suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Thanks,
-AD