[driving_smartly]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

The road between Turbhe and the express highway is completed washed away at the moment. Please avoid.

Yes, this road widening work should have been done ages ago. They have totally messed up the road and made our life's hell

[ghodlur]

While coming from Pune recently, I saw one of the concretized lane after the E-way ends at Panvel was thrown open (or was it forced open by cars) and I under the assumption they would get stuck moved to the lane below the concrete road. Found that both the lanes merged ahead and then started the off roading. The stretch between Belapur after the flyover till the Nerul flyover was unbelievably bad. These 4 monsoon months are horrible for any vehicle on these roads.

[S_U_N]

Well, I did not have any issue going from Pune towards Thane, but the return was like a night-mare. I don't know why road works are done during monsoon.

[amit]

I was returning from Pune on Sunday night, around 10pm almost was on the exit of the expressway from where traffic was held up due to road construction work immediately after the expressway. I had to drop off my friend in Kopar Khairne, thanks to the traffic, I reached Kopar Kharine at 11.30 pm and finally reached home in Chembur at 12.15 am!

The traffic jam was from about half a kilometre on the exrpessway till the Taloja flyover. Thankfully, from there to CBD the traffic was free flowing. I can't even imagine what would have happened if traffic was held up till CBD as the entire stretch from Kharghar to CBD is also being concretised.

[S_U_N]

There is another route (besides the Turbhe route) to go towards Thane. How is the road condition on that one?

[honeybee]

Had the occasion to return last evening from Pune to Mumbai. No cops, no checks at toll booths, no discipline - specially some of the foreign brand owners. It looks like it will take another high-profile casualty or two before the whole drama by the highway police is played out again.

The only thing which has changed in terms of security is the toll booth at Talegaon is now playing warnings voiced by several leading Marathi actors/actresses. Also it might just be my imagination, but a Shivneri bus did seem to pull out of the rightmost lane and join a leftward lane on reaching the toll booth.

Had a weird experience when I pulled out into the right lane to overtake a slow car, started flashing my left indicator as I drew parallel and was about to move back into the middle lane, when a Landrover zooms up behind me, almost kissing my ass. I felt like stopping the car and slapping the driver. He could see me from about a kilometer farther, and still drove like a complete jerk.

The mist at Lonavla was just terrific. At 5 in the evening it was almost dark, and I finally switched on my hazard lights for a few hundred metres.

[Figopian]

Was coming from Dombivli to Pune last weekend. The Shil phata -> Taloja -> Kalamboli road that joins the expressway is horrible. I am seeing this road in terrible condition since a few years now. The road now is non-existent, its all craters and stones. Its really pathetic. I remember once I had taken a right turn towards Kharghar and then a U-turn from under the bridge to join the ex-way. With the road work on going not sure if that is recommended now. I need to go to Dombivli again this weekend and the thought of driving there scares me. I am not even thinking of actually driving in Dombivli where there are no roads anyway

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Figopian

Was coming from Dombivli to Pune last weekend. The Shil phata -> Taloja -> Kalamboli road that joins the expressway is horrible.

I am driving over to Thane sometime next week and was considering this route from Panvel to Thane. Now that I hear this route is bad, I presume I should stick to the route via Juinagar - Ghansoli/ Airoli?

What is the report on that route?
Also, how about the e-way condition, anything to watch out for?

[Figopian]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I am driving over to Thane sometime next week and was considering this route from Panvel to Thane. Now that I hear this route is bad, I presume I should stick to the route via Juinagar - Ghansoli/ Airoli?

What is the report on that route?
Also, how about the e-way condition, anything to watch out for?

Selfdrive, sorry if my post was misleading.
I was talking only about the approach road to Express way, not the entire stretch from Shil phata to Ex-way. However, I did drive from Thane -> Kalwa -> Mumbra -> Shil Phata -> Dombivli and then from Dombivli to -> Shil phata ->Taloja -> Kalamboli -> Ex-way. The road condition is overall good expect those monstrous speed breakers around Kalwa and Mumbra. Also, the road close to Mumbra station as well is in bad condition but that is a small stretch as far as I remember. The Mumbra bypass is open for one way traffic, though I did not take it as I was driving in the night. The road is good, but beware of the traffic at Mumbra and Kalwa. Choose this road only if you are driving very early morning or late nights. Otherwise the regular road from Belapur, Juinagar is good.

The ex-way is in overall good condition except a few spots in the ghat section.

[khoj]

Why do drivers use hazard lights in foggy, rainy conditions and in tunnels is puzzling. These lights are meant to be used when ones' vehicle poses a hazard to other traffic (pulled over for changing tire/breakdown etc etc) For all other weather conditions we do have fog lights or even good old parking lights which are enough to make others aware of our presence.

The mist at Lonavla was just terrific. At 5 in the evening it was almost dark, and I finally switched on my hazard lights for a few hundred metres.

The reference to the OP has been removed since the above is a general statement and not aimed at any one in particular.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by khoj

Why do drivers use hazard lights in foggy, rainy conditions and in tunnels is puzzling.

A few weeks ago I had to use a cab service to get from Pune to Mumbai airport. In the first tunnel, the driver switched on the hazards (4pm on a bright sunny - outside the tunnel - day)

I didnt say a word till he pulled over at the food court for a bio break. When he removed his seatbelt, I asked him why he put those hazards and what would he do if he wanted to change lanes in the tunnel.

His answer was:
a. I am not from this part of Maharashtra but I have been told to follow whatever everyone else does. By other drivers and by my cab company. I need to ensure my vehicle is spotted by other drivers who expect to see hazards to spot a vehicle
b. if I want to change lanes, I switch off the hazards and then switch on the indicator.

I wished him well and wanted to tell him that is not what hazards are for. But I guess he read my mind and told me that he knew what they were intended for, but he just didnt want to risk it.

[honeybee]

Off topic, but the Mumbra bypass is perfectly motorable. Please don't venture into the town where roads and traffic is horrible.

[somitra1981]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I wished him well and wanted to tell him that is not what hazards are for. But I guess he read my mind and told me that he knew what they were intended for, but he just didnt want to risk it.

Atleast the cab driver acknowledged, that he understand's the basics of driving. This habit of using hazard lights has spread like a plague.

Long back people advised me to do so as well, i did it for a brief while, but then i hit upon Team Bhp and the rest is history.

I can still excuse the poor fellow for being ignorant, how about educated lot like us. I have a colleague of mine who works at Pune but travels back to Bombay every weekend, white collar IT guy, does'nt use seat belt at all.
Another one of my colleague is always driving with full beams.

I am at complete loss of words when i see such examples. So advising or even asking such people about use of hazard lights is waste of time in my opinion.

The tests to grant licenses have be very strick for people to start it from day 1 of driving vehicles, but then all of us know how licenses are doled out in our RTO's.

[reignofchaos]

This time when I did a road trip to Bombay, even I was puzzled by all the imbeciles turning on their hazards on the expressway. Hazards should be used only for two purposes - one when you make an emergency stop and park at the shoulder of a road and the second is for suddenly forceful braking because of some road hazard. Other than that they should not be touched.

[honeybee]

I used the hazard lights in dense fog, when visibility was down to a few metres. Hope it's ok?

While en route to Pune, noticed a bunch of yellow-jacketed workers flocked near the median. Fearing they wanted to cross the road I started slowing down. Good thing, because a truck in front- whom I had assumed to be moving slower- had actually stopped. In the rightmost lane. And was turning slowly towards the shoulder as its front right tyre was flat.

On the return journey a car had broken down in the rightmost lane and a towing van was in front of it.

In both these instances the warning mechanism should have triggered at least a few hundred metres earlier. Putting the cones a few feet behind the broken down vehicles is simply asking for an accident.