[PetrolRider]

Originally Posted by sukhoi30

Last weekend I went to Pune via expressway and hit the toll booth at 12 noon. There was considerable queue at the toll booths. It stretched almost 2 - 3 kms. However, the queues were moving fast enough. They had stopped all heavy vehicles before the toll booth, so that helped a lot.

Thank you sukhoi30.
So it is safe to assume that I need 30 - 45 minutes to cross the booth.
Guess what, I am planning to use the expressway pretty frequently next week, 4 time precisely.

[mpksuhas]

Is the speed limit on expressway still 80KMPH?
Also, how strictly is it enforced?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Is the speed limit on expressway still 80KMPH?

Yes, the speed limit is still 80 KMPH.

how strictly is it enforced?

At the end of both the toll booths (Urse -Pune Side & Khalapur - Mumbai Side) are cops waiting. They check the timestamp on the Toll receipt which would be the time you entered the Expressway (at the toll of course) and they will measure the time you have taken to reach the other side of the booth ~ 60 kms.

If they find you reaching there faster than the typical average time, you are penalized.

This is an exercise that happens in adhoc (and at times regular) basis. But from my numerous experiences of driving on this road since many years, I can safely say that you maintain 90-100 KMPH on the speedo and still not take a break anywhere and you will not fall into the category of speedsters.

Ghat sections and few slow turns will ensure cruising at 90-100 will be sufficient to cross this without an issue or getting penalized.

Check few posts from here too:

Originally Posted by rohit0103

it seems the cops are checking the receipts of issuing time between the two Toll nakas. whatever be the distance (assuming 80 Kms), if the time diff between issuing and presenting the receipt is less than 1 hr, they are fining the motorists for over speeding. Now, there can be a lot of ifs and buts and even question on how can they fine for over speeding post facto (not in the Act itself), but this is the case.

So, please be careful.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

This is an exercise that happens in adhoc (and at times regular) basis. But from my numerous experiences of driving on this road since many years, I can safely say that you maintain 90-100 KMPH on the speedo and still not take a break anywhere and you will not fall into the category of speedsters.

Thanks.
Yes, read about the 'toll recepit speed' trick by police. The reason for the post was, a friend of mine last week drove through expressway and mentioned that he saw police flagging down vehicles inbetween.
He doubts it was due to overspeeding but didnt recollect noticing any speed guns. Hence was wondering if they have installed speed cameras.

Also, was wondering how police will check ETC / Fastag enabled vehicles? Since they will not be having toll receipts.

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Thanks.
Yes, read about the 'toll recepit speed' trick by police. The reason for the post was, a friend of mine last week drove through expressway and mentioned that he saw police flagging down vehicles inbetween.
He doubts it was due to overspeeding but didnt recollect noticing any speed guns. Hence was wondering if they have installed speed cameras.

Also, was wondering how police will check ETC / Fastag enabled vehicles? Since they will not be having toll receipts.

On the toll receipt they see the time when the receipt was issued and the distance you have traveled since then. That way they can calculate your average speed to check if you were speeding? No high tech cameras there!

[Akshay1234]

I'm surprised because my toll receipt has never been checked at any of the tolls or anywhere else by the police. Maybe I'm just lucky. Are there any particular times you guys have had the receipts checked?

Last time I drove I tried to look out for speed cams too, and couldn't spot any.

I also might have mentioned this before, but after lonavla the parts of the left most lane which have been remade, are plain horrible. They are absolutely bumpy as compared to the original surface. Its a shame that almost 20 years after the expressway was made, they cannot match the original quality.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

he saw police flagging down vehicles in between.

The only location where the cops are "Hyperactive" on and regularly seen flagging down vehicles is when you are crossing Lonavala after Amrutanjan Bridge, and towards Pune as you are mostly crawling or have started to gain some speeds after the crawl.

Also, was wondering how police will check ETC / Fastag enabled vehicles? Since they will not be having toll receipts.

They will still manage to find many who are driving without FasTags. Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai regulars may not really opt for FasTag as on normal days except long weekends, the booth itself is well managed & fast.

That said, don't give wrong hints

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

I'm surprised because my toll receipt has never been checked at any of the tolls or anywhere else by the police. Maybe I'm just lucky. Are there any particular times you guys have had the receipts checked?

None of our toll receipts were checked till date. Not in the last umpteen times I have driven. If they see us belted they would hardly bother but then right after the booth even at 0500 I have spotted cops asking cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes to Pull over. This is more at Khalapur than at Urse Toll plaza. But every time I have driven, especially on weekends where there is higher amount of vigilance, I have been careful not to reach the other end sooner.

I had also read somewhere (Unable to recall) that the Toll booth attendant also passes this information to the cops as soon as he checks the receipt so that they ask you to pull over right there after the toll.

[pranavkhopkar]

Having the cars checked near toll plaza, to see if driver was speeding makes some mathematical sense but can't be called as proactive measure, instead it should be done midway.

In UK, if you are over speeding, it gets captured in a camera (linked to the speed gun) and the driver receives a ticket couriered at his registered address. Any idea how is this done in other countries? And how it can be done in India?

Also, I feel the official speed limits on the road should be increased, may not be the same throughout but there are many stretches on the expressway where I feel you should be allowed to drive on 120 in first lane.

[ShaileshHinge]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

I'm surprised because my toll receipt has never been checked at any of the tolls or anywhere else by the police. Maybe I'm just lucky. Are there any particular times you guys have had the receipts checked?

Police are stationed post both tolls in both directions whole day. I have been checked once( i travel very frequently..almost weekly).
They check if you crossed between the 2 tolls in less than 40 mins. i had taken 42 mins . Most of the travellers take a break at the food malls for fuel/ refreshments or using washrooms. In such cases you will easily cross the 40 mins window.

Police actually have built a tent post the toll towards Pune and are in 8-10 numbers. But offlate i have seen the cops more interested in stopping all the tourist cabs and trucks rather than check private cars for overspeeding.

[Tanveer_2558]

I have mostly spotted police with speed guns and their soo called "toll receipt" check during weekends, Most of the people do stop for refreshments or fuel even those who were overspeed, What i recently noticed is they were flagging those Volvo buses and trucks, How recklessly those Volvo buses driver drive! In the first lane they are doing 100-120 kph easily! And obviously they never even give you way no matter how much you honk or flash.

[heavy_foot]

Rest assured there are speed cameras on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. If you were speeding above the limit and haven't been caught yet, you were lucky. There are cops with speed guns as well sometimes after panvel, before the khalapur toll. Its been a couple of months I haven't been driving on the expressway. But until sometime back, I used to drive regularly on it. As per my observation in all these years, the worst drivers and overtake lane hoggers were mostly TN, KA, KL registered vehicles and always wondered if there is no concept of lanes in these places. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...63600.cms?null

[ShaileshHinge]

Came to Pune just now. Saw traffic police on Talegaon Toll stopping almost every vehicle coming out of the toll towards Pune. Since i took the chakan exit i was not stopped.

They had stopped private and commercial vehicle both. Police were in big numbers. Should be 15 odd cops there.

[sukhoi30]

I don't understand one thing. Cops are out at Talegaon Toll Naka at the Pune end to catch vehicles that are speeding. Cops are also out at the Khalapur toll Naka at the Mumbai end. From Khalapur toll to Panvel exit it is quite a distance... any car can speed and violate lanes at this stretch. How are the cops going to catch or stop them? How will cops catch cars that speed at certain stretches but at other stretches drive slow?

What is the speed limit actually? In the Mumbai-Pune expressway the speed limit is 80 kmph which is low for an expressway.

Also, shouldn't the speed limit be determined as per the vehicle size and load. I see luxury buses doing above 80kmph all the time and never getting caught.
It is frustrating if I am driving my car at 80 kmph and the Shivneri buses over takes me at 100 kmph. Should I rather take Shivneri than drive just for this reason!!!

[luvDriving]

I had to travel to CSMIA (or is it still CSIA) to receive mom arriving from Auckland. The flight landed at 10.45pm and we were in the airport parking getting out at 11 pm. Mumbai was easy till the expressway started, in fact at many of the signals people were obeying the traffic lights which was a pleasant sight.

The chaos started after we entered the expressway. Trucks, trucks and more trucks everywhere and in every which lane. One heavyweight going at 40 kmph overtaking another one going at 39 kmph. Is it like this every night or was it a one off thing I dont know but it took 4 hours to reach Pune including a 15 min halt.

The traffic was very heavy with 80 percent account for by trucks. It was a frustrating drive specially in the ghat section. No cops in sight through out the drive and of course there were 2 wheelers driving on the wrong side to add to the delight.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by luvDriving

The chaos started after we entered the expressway. Trucks, trucks and more trucks everywhere and in every which lane. One heavyweight going at 40 kmph overtaking another one going at 39 kmph. Is it like this every night or was it a one off thing I dont know but it took 4 hours to reach Pune including a 15 min halt.

The traffic was very heavy with 80 percent account for by trucks. It was a frustrating drive specially in the ghat section. No cops in sight through out the drive and of course there were 2 wheelers driving on the wrong side to add to the delight.

The scene is the same every night.
On inclines, we have overloaded and under-powered trucks racing against each other at measly speeds of 20-40 kmph fanned across all the lanes.