[PPS]

Originally Posted by Maverick5490

@SDP you are lucky to have that option of flexibility, I leave home from Thane @ 7:15 and reach Worli by 8:05 which is OK. In the evenings I leave at 5:30 and only manage to reach home by 7:15, pre monsoons it was by 6:30. Yesterday got delayed and left at 6:20, took me full 2 hours to reach.

As they say "yeh toh kuch bhi nahi hai". 2 days ago i left at 6pm & reached home at 9pm (Tardeo to Marve), mind you this isn't even a record as once it took me 3hrs 20mins!!
In the mornings its usually 2hrs , sometimes 2 1/2 hrs depending on rains.
So basically on some days i spend almost 6hrs travelling in the car!
Beat that!

Originally Posted by djpeesh

Has anyone in Mumbai noticed that two-wheelers no longer follow traffic lights and drive on the wrong side of the road, even in broad daylight?

These 2 wheelers are really notorious & become even more dangerous during the rains. Take a look at the last pic of the below post where a VW Touareg was driven on the wrong side, that too on the Sealink!

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2183779

[esma1981]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Esma1981,

Thank you for the first hand report & pictures of Eastern Freeway.

Hi Jignesh, It was a pleasure doing my first report for TBHP.

It seems people like us living / working in western suburbs will have to schedule a half day picnic to Churchgate / Nariman Point on a weekend to get a chance to drive on this spetacular freeway while returning.

Maybe you can take the Eastern Freeway to the first South Mumbai Meet

[ghodlur]

The stretch from Jupiter Hospital on EE highway in Thane till Cinemax/Vihang signal on the Ghodbunder road is totally nightmarish in the 5-8 pm time slot. Takes a minimum of 35 minutes to cross 400 mtrs stretch due to bad roads, potholes, vehicles trying to squeeze in spaces which are non existent. Cant understand why everybody is in a hurry - so much honking that could give a person with a weak heart a definite attack.

Add to this a few paan chewing drivers opening the driver side doors in heavy rains to spit. Arrgghhh. I wish I could get that person out of the vehicle and spank him black n blue.

[Dieseltuned]

The Miracls of Potholes ::

the potholes at Milind Nagar on JVLR are back and with a bang.
Today it took me 35 minutes to cover the stretch from SEEPZ to Milind nagar L& T flyover.

Regards
Ritesh

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

the potholes at Milind Nagar on JVLR are back and with a bang. Today it took me 35 minutes to cover the stretch from SEEPZ to Milind nagar L& T flyover.

Hello Ritesh,

As I mentioned earlier, the potholes filling work done at Milind nagar signal on JVLR just a temporary remedy. Two or three days of heavy rains & the pot holes are back in their original shape. I was also struck in the traffic pile up today morning, luckily I can to escape at SEEPZ Gate No. 3.

It seems rather than waiting for authotities to do something, we - the people, will have to fill these potholes on a weekend.

Thanks,

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Having said that I sincerely feel (& have observed) that bikers in Mumbai are still much better than their counterparts in other Indian cities. If you happen to drive in Pune or Ahmedabad you will actually be dead surprised on seeing the way bikers ride there. Just to give you an example, if you are about to take a left turn & have turned on the left indicator light, still couple (yes more than one) of bikers will pass from your left side at a high speed just to overtake you & go straight.

Thanks,

Sorry to disappoint you, but most bikers in Mumbai do exactly the same thing. Entry to my apartment building involves a sharp left turn. I give my left signal and slow down very carefully, but still many bikers try and pass from the left! Even in other cases, at junctions also they creep into the left lane and go right. Same happens when you give a right signal to go right, they try and pass from the right!

Bikers have become a menace in Mumbai - driving without lights, or on high beam, breaking signals, driving on the wrong side of the road, no helmets, don't give a damn about mirrors or bumpers. If one sees the statistics, it is no wonder that maximum accidents are with bikers involved.

That day in front of a traffic policeman a biker was on the wrong side and nearly caused an accident. I rolled down my window and asked the cop - did you not notice that and why didn't you stop him? He said he is afraid to fight with them, they will hit him and ride away and nothing will be achieved. Sometimes I feel we are a basket case.

I think I should not single out bikers, it is the pedestrian also who needs to be educated properly. Just by waving their hands do they think one can simply stop? Some of the nastier ones try to taunt you by deliberately stepping out in front of your car and then even pausing - run me over if you have the guts. What is it that that 1 minute they are saving by not waiting for the green man is going to achieve? Even where there are good footpaths, walking on the road is a must and that too 2 or 3 abreast and with the kid in the line of traffic.

Forget the fines, any jaywalker must simply be made to wait on the side of the road for 2 hours, that will be enough.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Friends,

I am myself a biker in Mumbai, but I ride safely all the times because I always think of my family waiting for me at home.

But yes, I accept that in general bikers in Mumbai have gone bad over last couple of years & one of the reason for this is the new super bikes (150cc & above).

Having said that I sincerely feel (& have observed) that bikers in Mumbai are still much better than their counterparts in other Indian cities. If you happen to drive in Pune or Ahmedabad you will actually be dead surprised on seeing the way bikers ride there. Just to give you an example, if you are about to take a left turn & have turned on the left indicator light, still couple (yes more than one) of bikers will pass from your left side at a high speed just to overtake you & go straight.

Thanks,

There are a few good bikers, no doubt but the majority of them are nuts.

Mumbai bikers are no better than other cities. They are all as bad, squeezing in where there is no place. Cutting in front of cars and making them brake.

What you mentioned happens in Mumbai all the time. In fact with Taxis too, if you put on an indicator they rush to block you so that you can't get ahead. Its actually easier to cut into a lane if a Taxi is there by NOT putting on your indicator.

The less said about pedestrians the better. Most think the road is built by their fathers, the just amble across no matter how fast the car is coming towards them. The best part is if you honk at them they look at you as if you are doing something wrong.

Anyway I can go on ranting about Mumbai traffic for days at an end, I'll probably double my post count before I'm done with that. But I think a lot of the road rage will reduce if bikers and taxis and autos follow some discipline.

I've seen the bikers who drive stupidly and the pedestrians who cross like its their own road are generally from the lowest classes, and feel they are privileged to break the rules because they are underprivileged in life.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by sandeep108

Tt is the pedestrian also who needs to be educated properly. Just by waving their hands do they think one can simply stop?

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The less said about pedestrians the better.

Hello Sandeep / Akshay,

I truly understand your frustration when it comes to pedestrians in Mumbai but there is nothing we can do here. When I see a pedestrian showing his hand to stop my car, it seems to me - he is thinking that my Car's brake are working on his hand's command.

Somewhere down the line we as a society in general have lost the virtues of discipline & concern for others. Though usable footpaths are available in very few areas of Mumbai still in these areas we see people merrily walking on roads. In most other areas footpaths are occupied by hawkers & shop extensions (e.g. Dadar, Malad & Borivali Station area) leaving no space for pedestrains.

But in general this is the problem of over-supply of people & lack of resources. An average citizen is equally frustrated in his / her own public life (e.g. travel in local bus / trains) that he leaves no chance to let go of his anger on somebody & anybody.

Thanks,

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Hello Ritesh,

It seems rather than waiting for authotities to do something, we - the people, will have to fill these potholes on a weekend.

Thanks,

I am willing to do that. Will the authoritise permit it ? I am just going bonkers thinking about the amount of fuel wasted in this meaningless jam just because some sleeping government babu is not doing his job.

[amit]

Originally Posted by gomzi

As a standard practice, I switch on the headlights when travelling on any of our highways.

My experience driving in a similar way:

I was driving along the Pune-Mumbai expressway at 5.30pm on a cloudy, drizzling evening and just after crossing the Talegaon / Chakan toll plaza I was stopped by cops. Reason? I had my headlights on and as per them it is illegal to have the headlights on in the day unless it's raining heavily. The conversation then went like this between me & an officer sitting in a Bolero (BO = Bolero officer)

Me: It's dull, dreary and dark with little drizzle hence I have my headlights on.
BO: It's not so dark that you cannot see. I have specs and I can still see the road ahead.
Me: (Wondering where this moron has come from!) Headlights are not just so the driver can see the road, it's also because other driver's and road user's can spot you.
BO: See so many car's are going and no body has their headlights on. Why only you?
Me: Just because they don't have common sense and are doing wrong doesn't mean I will follow them!
BO: Ya only you are right everyone else is wrong.

I realised there was no point in arguing so ultimately I was fined Rs.200. They charged me Rs.100 for having tinted films.

Driving back I was thinking if there was a concept of global transfer's of cops and if these morons had been posted in an European or North American country they would have stopped the entire traffic for having their headlights on in the day!

The point is: Is it really ILLEGAL to have your headlights on during day / evening time unless it's raining heavily? Also, how are you going to define heavy rains? First this country makes subjective laws and then harasses law abiding citizens like us!

Secondly, if it actually is illegal to have lights on in the day then how come we have car's with DRL's / LED DRL's running around in this country? Or is it because only the Merc's , BMW's and Audi's have this feature they are not stopped since it's assumed the owner is a big shot? And what about car's with automatic headlights? Imagine trying to explain to the cops that the car automatically switches on it's headlights depending on the light outside! Even measly Linea's and XUV's have these features now.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by amit

The point is: Is it really ILLEGAL to have your headlights on during day / evening time unless it's raining heavily? Also, how are you going to define heavy rains? First this country makes subjective laws and then harasses law abiding citizens like us!

I believe you answered your question in the initial part of your post.

Me: (Wondering where this moron has come from!)

I actually would have been quite happy if they had fined people who switch on the hazard lights the moment rain starts. And still after that few of these idiots start weaving in and out of the lanes as if it was completely safe.

What I would like to know is what the chalan states as the offense - I don't believe there is any rule for this "offense".

[gomzi]

You got fined for WHAT?!??
I have never gotten fined for this and I'm sure it will not discourage you from following a good practice.

Originally Posted by amit

The point is: Is it really ILLEGAL to have your headlights on during day / evening time unless it's raining heavily? Also, how are you going to define heavy rains? First this country makes subjective laws and then harasses law abiding citizens like us!

Nope, I guess the cop might have been probably falling short of a "daily target" on fines, and saw you as an easy bait. As Ninjatalli asked what does it say on the challan?

You could have asked him to show you the rule which states this. Someone in the Motorvehicles Act thread mentioned to carry a copy of the act always. I think its a good idea for exactly such situations - to show the cops the law.

[djpeesh]

Do you have the receipt? If you do, send a copy of it along with an email to the director general of police along with a copy to a few media people like midday and Mumbai mirror. PM if you need email ids.

[Desmosedici]

From where can we get a copy of the MV Act. Is it easily available.

and you actually got stopped for it, i just cant believe it. How retarded can these cops be. I have at so many times switched on my lights as it was nearing dark and there was chances of rains. I can even switch on my headlights in a tunnel and forget to switch it off. In what way does it create an issue or trouble. Its the safest practice to keep your headlights on. Just a case of bad luck i guess for you.

and can you let me know where exactly you were stopped. If i go to Pune next, i shall also try keeping my headlights on irrespective of the time. Lets see what happens.

[Vishbull_6157]

Originally Posted by amit

My experience driving in a similar way:

I was driving along the Pune-Mumbai expressway at 5.30pm on a cloudy, drizzling evening and just after crossing the Talegaon / Chakan toll plaza I was stopped by cops. Reason? I had my headlights on and as per them it is illegal to have the headlights on in the day unless it's raining .

This is the most hilarious thing I have heard in all these motoring years. However , this may surprise many , there is an offense in MV act 1988 , 177 which says improper use of headlight is an offense and can attract a penalty fine of Rs 100 But again, improper usage is not defined and can be subjective. Please find the link for penalties under MVA

http://transport.bih.nic.in/Penalties.htm

In my experience, once you are caught and if they really want to fine you, they will find one way or the another to do that. If not anything, then they will fine for rash driving, lane cutting and such charges cannot be easily challenged. So although unwillingly, we have to pay the money.