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Old 13th February 2012, 05:43   #46
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

Couple of things come to my mind after reading through the thread:

- Daily collection of 1.5 crores is an understatement IMO. Looking at 24/7 vehicular traffic and the Toll Charges across the vehicle types, I will not be surprised if the collection is more than 3 crores.

- Even if its 1.5 crores, the outflow on the maintenance looks peanuts. I am sure the Haftha goes to the highest level through IRB. Toll has become an easy way of minting money throughout Maharashtra. Even rural roads are not spared by local MLAs.

- Its interesting to see the new Cricket Stadium thats coming up near Gahunje for Pune IPL team. It seems the entry to the stadium is directly from the EWay. I wonder how they plan to manage the traffic. It will be a nightmare for commuters during prolonged IPL season.

On the positive note, its still one of the best roads in our country and a boon for the commuters.
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Old 13th February 2012, 10:05   #47
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

This a good thought provoking thread. Thanks for starting this healthy debate. Most of the fellow-BHPians have already mentioned most important points.
The main thing which I feels stands out is the absolute disregard for personal safety as well as safety of others w.r.t two wheelers on the E-way and the folk who come bombing down the wrong side with hazard lights and / or head lights on. They put themselves and other users at risk.
The basic culprit I feel is that "Chalta Hain" attitude which is there in everyone. In some its strong and they are the wrong doers. There is no self realisation of the wrong they are doing. Ask them they will tell you "Chalta hain...No cops here to catch me or penalise me".
One thing is for sure. As long as each one of us do not imbibe self-discipline in ourselves pro-actively no change is going to be seen. Its a very Utopian thought but thats the way it is IMHO
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Old 13th February 2012, 12:43   #48
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

Here's my first hand experiance on a recent run, on the e-way.

I had gone to drop my brother off at the airport in Mumbai. While returning, it was pretty late, and we joined the E-way only at 10PM. All was well till we hit the ghat section. Once we started the incline, I could see a long serpantine queue of lights. The line extended all the way till Amrutanjan bridge!

Such was the jam, that I actually got down of the vehicle, and had a stroll on the e-way to get rid of cramps! Never in my dreams did I imagine, walking on the e-way .

Here's what I observed:

1. The incline is too steep for heavy vehciles to cross it, without any issues. With the truck traffic in multiples in the night, this problem only increases two folds. One heavy vehicle actually broke down, right at the turn under the Amrutanjan bridge, hence all that jam!

2. Poeple are crazy. Yes, they are. Some, not so smart alecs decided, that waiting in the queue is for wimps, and, as soon as they found those brakes in the dividers, they moved on to the wrong side, to drive merrily with the blinkers on! C'mon, its the expressway for Pete's sake! One wrong move and you are dead! What was so bloody important, that these guys couldnt wait!

Forget 8 laning, even if the E-way is made into 32 lanes, these fools would act in the same manner. Problem lies within us, and later with the e-way.
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Old 13th February 2012, 12:55   #49
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

Hi Friends ,

This is a nice thread indeed. The major issue is only and only fellow drivers. I try to drive as safe and as mannered as possible but many times have faced close to disaster situation because of crazy and impatient drivers. I am just mentioning few horribly dangerous situations i have faced on this expressway only because of other reckless drivers.

1) I was driving in the tunnel ( unfortunately in right lane ) at around 75-80 kms/hr. , the guy behind in a tiny alto was giving me lights continuously but i could not give him side as there was another car to my left and also i did not feel comfortable to change lane inside the tunnel , but he kept hoking violently , i could not help , finally after the tunnel got over and the vehicle to my left got away i moved to my left to let him go , well but he was not done yet , he overtook me and then braked hard for a sec. (to take some kind of revenge) , i was lucky to control myself and save life of myself and my family.
My remedy to avoid such situations in future : never ever be in the right lane when in a tunnel , its not easy but well I have to manage to stay alive. As people ignore that they are not supposed to overtake in tunnels.
2) I overtook a slow moving bus using a right lane , far away i was looking at one slow moving safari , was trying to decide whether to wait till he moves to his left or what , to my surprise i noticed his reverse lights lit up and then after few secs hazard lights, he was taking a reverse right in the right lane. I missed a heart beat but thank God could easily move to my left to avoid him as i was maintaining great distance in between.
My remedy to avoid such situations in future : drive very very cautiously and be as away as possible from other vehicles , I know its not easy but life is not easy on mumbai-pune expressway
3) I was in middle lane , one truck was coming at crazy speeds from behind using same lane , he steered fast to left lane and then again came back in my middle lane ahead of me, then again after 2-3 mins steered back to right lane behind one scorpio and started honking violently , i could not understand what was happening , i have not seen a truck doing this before , the guy in scorpio was showing hands at him and abusing the trucker , seemed like they had some things to settle with each other ,then they both moved to extreme left lane one after another leaving me breathless. I did not stop to see what happened next.
My remedy to avoid such situations in future : i have no remedy
4) i was overtaking one car at around 100kms/ hr. All of a sudden one Audi Q7 arrived behind me from nowhere giving me lights , before i could think he was inches away from boot of my car , i was scarred to death , i overtook as fast i could and within few secs he overtook me from my left without giving me any time to move.
My remedy to avoid such situations in future : While overtaking if you see any expensive fast car in rear view mirror ( no matter how far away they are) then let him go first.

I am sure all fellow BHP ians have faced similar or worse situations and many are almost not avoidable . I don't know whey people behave and drive so recklessly and put others life in danger whom they don't even know forget being enemies. The worst part is that I have never seen any such driver being stopped or penalized anywhere on this highway

regards
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Old 13th February 2012, 14:41   #50
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

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Originally Posted by amolathalye View Post
4) i was overtaking one car at around 100kms/ hr. All of a sudden one Audi Q7 arrived behind me from nowhere giving me lights , before i could think he was inches away from boot of my car , i was scarred to death , i overtook as fast i could and within few secs he overtook me from my left without giving me any time to move.
My remedy to avoid such situations in future : While overtaking if you see any expensive fast car in rear view mirror ( no matter how far away they are) then let him go first.
Generally in such situations turning on the left indicator while you are overtaking and parallel to the slower vehicle should help to give an indication to the impatient moron behind you that you would be moving to the middle lane as soon as the overtaking is over.

All this is assuming that the overtaking maneuver was started after checking the rear view mirror and the vehicle appeared behind you becausse of very high speeds it was doing.
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Old 13th February 2012, 16:14   #51
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

Expressway is filled with all kinds of vehicles. When I am in India, I go on that road like 2 to 3 times a week. Its impossible to keep braking for trucks/cars who drive/overtake in the right lane at 60's and 70 kmph. Defeats the whole purpose of the expressway if I have to keep braking every minute or so.

To counter this I flash from behind when I am far away for someone in the right lane, if he moves in time, I ll overtake from the right, if not then just overtake from which ever lane is empty and move on.
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Old 13th February 2012, 17:01   #52
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

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Originally Posted by amitwlele View Post
Generally in such situations turning on the left indicator while you are overtaking and parallel to the slower vehicle should help to give an indication to the impatient moron behind you that you would be moving to the middle lane as soon as the overtaking is over.

All this is assuming that the overtaking maneuver was started after checking the rear view mirror and the vehicle appeared behind you becausse of very high speeds it was doing.
thanks amitwlele , i will try doing it every time i am overtaking on this highway
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Old 13th February 2012, 17:14   #53
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

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Originally Posted by amitwlele View Post
Folks i had this question in my mind for a long time.

Why is the bridge prone to accidents on the expressway called the Amrutanjan bridge.

One person told me that many years ago there used to be a huge neon sign at that place for Amrutanjan balm hence the name. Is that correct? I don't think that sign is there anymore unless i missed it.
That's absolutely right. There used to be a huge Amrutanjan neon sign (not sure if it is still there. Never bothered to look around while driving on E-Way !!).

I still remember the days in late 90's when E-way was not existing. We used to ride from Pune to Lonavala on Scooty (yes, the 2-stroke one) and Bajaj scooter during rains, park them on the old high-way just before the ghaat descent and walk up to the Amrutanjan cliff all surrounded by clouds amidst beautiful scenary!!

It's sad that the Amrutanjan bridge is now-a-days remembered only for traffic-jams and accidents :(
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Old 14th February 2012, 21:40   #54
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

This expressway is one of the bad ones..I prefer the amazing stretch between Baroda & Ahmedabad any day hands down. The up keep has been spot on whereas there are patches till day on the Mumbai Pune stretch which were existing years ago...such a shame really!
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Old 15th February 2012, 14:15   #55
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

I often travel between Pune-Mumbai and here are my observations,
- The first and foremost thing is to educate people on driving manners for such highways. All sorts of vehicles with equally colorful personalities ply on these highways.

- I dont know if it is ego or plain stupidity when people stick to right most lane and block the fast coming traffic behind them. No amount of honking or blinking would move these dumb guys. On top of that some of them would even put up the right blinker all the way till Mumbai !!!!

- Truckers create havoc at nights occupying all the lanes, its like whos the fastest snail of us all !!!

- Most of the Heavy vehicles do not have tail lamps and it becomes very dangerous in monsoons and during winters. I never experienced heavy fog on this road, but last month I started at 4:30am in morning and it was heavy fog with very low visibility. And these trucks without any tail lamp indications kept popping up like a dreadful nighmares, very dangerous.

- Speeding is an issue, no matter it is a cheap or an expensive car. I have seen Maruti 800s racing with my Polo !!! literally at speeds above 100kmph. Its a recipe for disaster.

- Volvos, taxis drive as if they own the right lane

- While approaching toll gates people change lanes like a bunch of rockets fired from a single bottle.

In my opinion
- Patrolling should increase on this highway.

- Vehicles with no tail lamps should be punished heavily and compulsory
repairs should be ordered at the next available toll gate

- Overspeeding cars should be fined. In fact last month I saw a couple of traffic police with speed guns standing about 100m before Khalapur (The one after Mcdonalds while going towards Mumbai) and they had stopped some "expensive" as well as normal cars. Good to see that but it should be more often and at straight stretches. People really get into flight mode on these stretches and fantasize about take-off in their cars.

- Now to educate people, the authority needs to spend time as well as money. One way I think would be to provide a more pictorial handbook explaining the do`s and dont`s and the more cruel way is to fine the rule breakers/benders heavily so that next time they are more careful.
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Old 15th February 2012, 15:04   #56
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

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Originally Posted by formel_eins View Post
1. I dont know if it is ego or plain stupidity when people stick to right most lane and block the fast coming traffic behind them. No amount of honking or blinking would move these dumb guys.

2. Overspeeding cars should be fined. In fact last month I saw a couple of traffic police with speed guns standing about 100m before Khalapur (The one after Mcdonalds while going towards Mumbai) and they had stopped some "expensive" as well as normal cars. Good to see that but it should be more often and at straight stretches. People really get into flight mode on these stretches and fantasize about take-off in their cars.
1. Not that any proof is required for it but because i had a snap handy from last week's drive posting it here. Bus doing slow speeds on the right most lane with gay abandon.

Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)-img00155.jpg

2. The problem is, speed guns are being used sparingly to catch the offenders. During my last 3 runs on the expressway in the last month did not see any police with speed guns. And when they are present they occupy the same spot every time. So there is no element of surprise .
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Old 16th February 2012, 00:10   #57
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

I drive Pune-Mum-Pune very, very often in my Endy, and I must say, i love the Expressway. Yes, we do have indisciplined drivers who obviously did not have the community living subject in school (and it's not the truck drivers who irritate more - it's the very "educated" car owner with "i will drive where i want" attitude that suck), we have a couple of difficult spots (especially what I call the S bridge underpass), and we desperately need better policing.

But hey, remember the late 80s and 90s, when highway meant a 1.5 lane road, so you had to wait for a few kms before overtaking the ST bus in front of you? Remember the old Lonavla highway, with 4 hour - 4 day traffic snarls?

When the expressway opened, we were very sure that within a few months, it would be open to bullock carts and autorickshaws and all kinds of other moving things. That hasn't happened. I regularly do obscene speeds (sorry, but my Endy doesn't give me an inkling of what she's doing unless I keep watching the speedo) and never have to worry about slamming into potholes. I love pulling off at the food plaza for some misal pav and chai. And in the 10-12 years I have been driving on it, the maximum I have been stuck on it is for 30 mins - last month, when a Scorpio caught fire just beyond my S underpass, and the fire brigade stopped traffic to enable it to water down the hill slope.

One simple strategy that really helps - the moment you see some crazy bugger trying to race you, a truck refusing to give you way, or a rush of blood getting you irritated, just take a deep breath, pull to the left, slow down, put on some great music, and let the moment pass, and life's beautiful (and safe) again!

Just one item on my wishlist - police patrolling on the ghat section to ensure that the trucks leave one lane open while they labour up the steep incline.

I've heard of plans to build an alternate section on the ghat - if that's done well, it could be the last item on my list ticked off!

Last edited by siddheshb : 16th February 2012 at 00:12.
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Old 16th February 2012, 10:28   #58
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

I'm going to go off on a wing and say that the Mumbai-Pune expressway is THE best road ever constructed in this part of the world and was way before its time when it was opened up for use more than 10 years ago.

Apart from some obvious gaffes like the switching of fast and slow lanes at Amrutanjan bridge and the ultra-steep ascent at Khandala, there is very little that is OUTRIGHT wrong with the e-way.

But I do agree 100% with this assessment:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar View Post
Forget 8 laning, even if the E-way is made into 32 lanes, these fools would act in the same manner. Problem lies within us, and later with the e-way.
You could not have said it any better. From my experience (and by a rough estimate I must have clocked nearly 15,000 km on the expressway since 2001) the vast majority of accidents and fatalities reported on the expressway can be attributed to stupidity, in one form or the other. Whether it is truckers riding with their lights off or people not knowing the limits of the machinery they operate, or some folks treating the expressway as their backyard and strolling around, using the wrong lane etc. there is always SOME element of human stupidity involved as the root cause of these tragedies.

While one can't absolve the authorities of all responsibility- after all the policing and enforcement of road laws is abysmal on this stretch- I think it's incumbent on each and every one of us to ensure that we drive with adherence to the laws and with safety of ourselves and others foremost in our minds.

The expressway is probably still one of the only roads in the country where one can cover 150 km between two major cities in a couple of hours. Rather than get into a blame game as to who's responsible for the deaths, I would rather we each take up the responsibility to practice safe driving and EDUCATE others to do the same.
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Old 16th February 2012, 12:42   #59
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

Very well said, indeed noop. Yes, most of the times the accidents are a resultant of some sort of human error.

While, its difficult for truck drivers to uderstand this (and on our part to expect such things from them), the least that can be done, is WE start educating our educated fools as friends. Stick to one lane. This aint an F1 race, where you dont let the person behind you pass through.

Drive at saner speeds. No one is going to reward you for covering the stretch in a certain span of time.
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Old 16th February 2012, 21:07   #60
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Re: Review of the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway (Mumbai-Pune)

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I'm going to go off on a wing and say that the Mumbai-Pune expressway is THE best road ever constructed in this part of the world and was way before its time when it was opened up for use more than 10 years ago.
IMHO that crown is now with Baroda-Ahemdabad expressway.

Road quality and lance discipline is better as compared to Pune-Mumbai expressway. I have yet to come across a bike riding in opposite direction on that expressway. It does have a natural advantage (I.e. no Ghat section).
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