[Desmosedici]

I have 2 cars and have stopped driving them since the last 3 months. Planning to sell one of them as well.

My Reasons -

1) Too much traffic
2) Bad Roads
3) Ill mannered motorists
4) Cops waiting to fine you someway or the other
5) Parking Problems
6) Rising Hypertension as most tend to vent out on the roads.

I travel from Goregaon, Link Road near Hyper City to Powai daily. I leave home at 12:30PM and leave office at around 11:00PM. Travel Distance is 30Kms to and fro. travel time is around 50 mins one way.

My car averages 10 KMPL so 30kms will cost me 3 litres petrol * 75 per litre = 225 plus 15 for Aarey Toll = 240

I hail a rick and pay around 130 one way so that so thats 267 per day (mechanical meters plus the Aarey Toll) or pay 115 one way so thats 237 (electronic meter plus Aarey Toll). Sometimes my friend drops me till L&T while going to office.

What i get is -

1) Peace of Mind
2) No worry of a biker smashing your ORVMs or someone banging / scratching your car
3) No cop can fine you
4) Talk / Message / Surf on the phone
5) No queueing up to fill gas every now and then (too much time consumption as i fill up only at one place in Goregaon and thats always crowded and eats atleast 20 mins of my time. I generally prefer to fill gas post 11:30PM)
6) I also tend to engage the rick driver into a conversation and know what their side of the story is.

The above works very well for me. Just that every day i lose around 5 mins trying to get the rick guys to take me to Powai. If i ask them courteously, most of them take me or genuinely say sorry as they have to go somewhere else / have lunch etc.

Their version is that they generally dont care much about what the union does and they actually do not want to support but do that in fear of getting their vehicles broken or some other pressure tactics. Most of them drive only for 6 to 8 hours and earn a gross of 500 - 600 bucks and what remains in the end is around 250 - 300 bucks post CNG, Rick Hiring Costetc.

The thing that i have noted is that the old drivers are generally nice to the public and never refuse and are very polite. Its only the newer generation which has a high handed attitude and is very brash and arrogant. I at times just keep walking trying to hail a running rick while leaving office as i know that there is syndicate of drivers who stand outside at powai who have 'revved' up their meters.

All of the above works well for me and the opinions / reasons are just mine. I know it wont be the same for people travelling from and to different places.

My feeling is that even though the increase in cabs and ricks might create traffic issues, it will be absorbed in due course of time and it is better for the general public as they have more vacant cabs and ricks for their journey. If and only if the roads were good in mumbai, i believe that atleast 25% of the travel time will be reduced for everyone.

Cheers,
Raj

[kmadhok]

I travel the other way round L&T to Mindspace in the morning and back in the evening. I have tried driving, rickshaw and the bus. But my preference remains driving.
rickshaw's I find to be bad for the back and the ears with prolonged use, especially ones that are aged. Then there is the headache of tampered meters and guys refusing to take you especially in the evening. Problem is obviously more pronounced during rains.
The bus is actually very comfortable, but does not suit my times. The earliest bus in the morning is around 9:30am I think, and takes me only till SV Road, and then I am stuck to walk till Mindspace since no auto would take me such short distance.

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

I travel from Goregaon, Link Road near Hyper City to Powai daily. I leave home at 12:30PM and leave office at around 11:00PM. Travel Distance is 30Kms to and fro. travel time is around 50 mins one way.

Raj, you should try 388 from the SV road junction to Powai. May end up costing you about the same as the auto (assuming you take auto from Hypercity to SV road and then Powai lake road to your office if its not walkable) but 2 advantages, smoother ride and comfortable ride in AC. On the way back since it is so late you can consider taking an ordinary bus as well, 469, (459 and 479 as well I think!) which may be even quicker than the auto.
http://www.mumbailocal.net/1177/as-3...us-time-table/
The day they start a bus service at a good time till Link road I will get on to it and leave the car at home.

[neofromcapone]

@kmadhok

The day they start a bus service at a good time till Link road I will get on to it and leave the car at home.

Not too far away, the day the depot near Infinity 2 starts, you will have the bus coming right into mindspace.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

I have 2 cars and have stopped driving them since the last 3 months. Planning to sell one of them as well.Raj

Hello Raj,

I too drive from S.V.Road, Malad to SEEPZ & have tried driving through JVLR & Aarey Road. But either way in evening it takes me approx 1 hour in morning & 1 hour 15 minutes in evening. Fuel cost (petrol) is approx Rs. 200 per day with mileage of 11 & distance of 25 kms.

Even I am thinking of switching back to bike, since rains have almost gone & riding two-wheeler makes more sense economically & saves a lot of time.

Thanks,

[ghodlur]

I drive from Waghbil Thane to Hiranandani gardens Powai and it approximatley takes about 45-50 mins in the morning and around an hour in the evening. There is a BEST from very near my place 492ltd but the frequency is so erratic that at time I spend around 30 min waiting for the bus. Also in the evenings it will be choc o block with people that even standing travel becomes a nightmare. Ricks are a strict no no coz I will have to anyways change ricks, so the only option left is use own car.

I have tried car pooling but whenever I did i ended up waiting for people who took their own sweet time to arrive at the designated spots. I am thinking of private bus service now as an option and rest the Fiesta for a few months.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I am thinking of private bus service now as an option and rest the Fiesta for a few months.

Hello Ghodlur,

I am travelling to Pokhran Road No. 2 from Malad since yesterday & will be coming there till next weekend.

Yesterday I travelled through Ghodbunder Road after almost 8 - 9 months & was happy to see the fly-over next to Suraj Water Park open to public. But this happiness was short-lived as the other fly-overs are still under construction. I believe when I passed through Ghodbunder Road in November 2009 they had started (initiated) construction of these three fly-overs. Now I am surprised to see that these fly-overs are still undes-construction after almost three years & there are no-where near completion.

I understand your plight while crossing this stretch everyday. Yes private bus service is a good option, only thing you do have luxury of starting at your convenient time.

Thanks,

[Desmosedici]

Originally Posted by kmadhok

Raj, you should try 388 from the SV road junction to Powai. May end up costing you about the same as the auto (assuming you take auto from Hypercity to SV road and then Powai lake road to your office if its not walkable) but 2 advantages, smoother ride and comfortable ride in AC. On the way back since it is so late you can consider taking an ordinary bus as well, 469, (459 and 479 as well I think!) which may be even quicker than the auto.
http://www.mumbailocal.net/1177/as-3...us-time-table/
The day they start a bus service at a good time till Link road I will get on to it and leave the car at home.

Thanks for the Bus Route Numbers. I shall try those sometime maybe while going back but i dont want to take a rick then bus then rick again while coming to office. Too much of a hassle. i agree on the backpain part though. Standing inside a bus is way better than sitting in a rick if you have a bad back. Is there a way that we can send in a request to BEST to initiate a bus service from & to mindspace & powai. I am sure there will be many who would utilise these services.

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Even I am thinking of switching back to bike, since rains have almost gone & riding two-wheeler makes more sense economically & saves a lot of time.
Thanks,

I myself was thinking of going back to a 2 wheeler, preferably a Honda Activa kind of vehicle as its easy to ride, easy to manouvre and best is the space you get under the seat to stuff your things.

or the best thing would be to get a job in mindspace for me. All issues resolved .

Cheers,
Raj

[kmadhok]

Suddenly Mumbai does not seem all that bad http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19660765

[ghodlur]

In spite of traffic notice that heavy vehicles should be barred from entering the city limits between 8 am to 11.30 am, it can be stil seen that the trucks and tankers make their way into city. Have observed these heavy vehicle regularly plying on the Ghodbunder Road in the mornings. Add to them the private buses which congest the traffic esp at the Mulund toll naka and on the Thane ROB on the Eastern Express highway. Numerous complaints to the traffic dept have gone unanswered.
Below is an except of the traffic ruling.

In order to prevent danger, obstructions and inconvenience to the public, to so direct, I, Brijesh Singh, Addl.Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Brihan Mumbai in exercise of the powers conferred upon me under Section 115 of the Mothor Vehicle Act 1988 (Act No.59 of 1988) read with Government Maharashtra Notification No. M.V.A.0589/C.R.-1061/TRA-2 dated 19 th May 1990, do hereby order as under:
No.38 /Addl.CP/Traffic/2012
There shall be No Entry for all types of heavy vehicles entering into Mumbai City forf Dahisar, Srinagar, Modella, Anand Nagar, Airoli and Vashi octroi posts from 08:00 hrs, till 11.30 hrs. except Sundays and all public holidays.
Heavy vehicles entering Mumbai city between 08:00hrs.and 11:30hrs. should immediately be stopped in open spaces nearby the afore statd octroi posts and be detained till 11:30 hrs.
Once this revised notification comes into force all previous notifications issued in this behalf stand cancelled.
Issued under my seal and signature on 30/06/2012

Below is the link for the latest traffic updates for Mumbai.
http://www.trafficpolicemumbai.org/Press%20Releases.htm

[carboy]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Add to them the private buses which congest the traffic esp at the Mulund toll naka and on the Thane ROB on the Eastern Express highway.

Buses would reduce traffic, not increase it, right?

[kmadhok]

Massisve jam on jvlr traffic heading west (towards jogeshwari). Avoid if possible. Stuck in it from SEEPZ flyover and reached Matoshri in last 30 mins.
EDIT: Turns out there is some work happening at the left had side near kalpataru. Traffic opens up after that. So if you are already stuck, please be patient till you hit kalpataru, and preferably stick to right hand side of the lane.

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by kmadhok

Massisve jam on jvlr traffic heading west (towards jogeshwari). Avoid if possible. Stuck in it from SEEPZ flyover and reached Matoshri in last 30 mins.
EDIT: Turns out there is some work happening at the left had side near kalpataru. Traffic opens up after that. So if you are already stuck, please be patient till you hit kalpataru, and preferably stick to right hand side of the lane.

I tweeted about the jam at exactly the same time you posted this !

I didnt see you though - which car ? Was it stickered ?

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

I myself was thinking of going back to a 2 wheeler, preferably a Honda Activa kind of vehicle as its easy to ride, easy to manouvre and best is the space you get under the seat to stuff your things.

Cheers,
Raj

You should seriously look at that bike option. Although a Puneite, I spend most of my weekends out there in Bombay and I always have the catch-22 situation : take my car to Bombay or not. If I don't, I have to depend on public vehicles & losing the flexibility of a personal vehicle (which I can't live without ), and if I do, take up the headache to manage Mumbai weekend traffic.

Finally am opting for an easy way-out. I'm plonking my bike in Bombay, and keeping the car for Pune usage. Win-win situation!


OT: A lot of my friends (born & brought up Mumbaikars) do not advise two-wheelers, infact several of them have just recently learnt driving! When I asked why - I always got the opinion - it's not good to drive a 2-wheeler in Bombay traffic! Instead when I used to work in Bombay a few years back, I found the bike the best option for inter-suburb travel! Yet that opinion persists very strongly till to date!

Any suggestions?

[neofromcapone]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

OT: A lot of my friends (born & brought up Mumbaikars) do not advise two-wheelers, infact several of them have just recently learnt driving! When I asked why - I always got the opinion - it's not good to drive a 2-wheeler in Bombay traffic! Instead when I used to work in Bombay a few years back, I found the bike the best option for inter-suburb travel! Yet that opinion persists very strongly till to date!

Any suggestions?

The biking culture in Bombay is non-existent (unlike Pune), here the biker is considered at the bottom of the food chain. Safety-wise I would not suggest a bike, but that's me, I have not ridden a bike in the city in the last 12 years and hence may be baised against it.

However you seem to be a riding for a while now and should be able to manage without any problem. Just follow the rules and be safe.

[kmadhok]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

I tweeted about the jam at exactly the same time you posted this !

I didnt see you though - which car ? Was it stickered ?

My cars aren't stickered. Only reason I could sent the status update was because I was not driving today. Was in an auto.
OT: do you user any particular hashtag while tweeting? At one time I used to use #trafficjaminmumbai when I tweeted about any traffic jam.