re: Mumbai Pune Expressway - Assistance Measures At about 45 kms into the expressway after having crossed the Khalapur Toll Naka, something interesting happened. I see a gentleman clad in the florescent green jacket with silver stripes and a number 31 printed on the back with a small bag at his foot standing on the shoulder, waving to vehicles for a lift. Nobody else in sight, no vehicles stopping for him, and I was able to observe this since quite some distance since I was at my cool best and slow speed (so to say), I thought of giving this guy a lift.
So I pull over to the shoulder just a little ahead of this guy. I lower down the window pane. He comes over and tries to open the door without even a word. It doesn’t open because I still haven’t switched off the car and not unlocked the doors. So he looks at me questioningly as to the door is not opening and how to open it.
So the first thing I ask him is I see your jacket and all and you are probably the safety marshal on the expressway, but please show me your identity card before I open my door, how do I know you are not real and some fake person impersonating the safety marshal. The guy looks genuine though.
He says, sir, I do not have the identity card on me as I have forgotten in hurry.
I tell him how I should believe you that you are genuine safety marshal.
He says, yes you are right but please understand that I do not have ID with me and I have to reach for my duty at the post further ahead.
He tells me that there is a number on his jacket, 31, that is his unique identifying number on the expressway and if I want I can check at any of the offices of the safety body or calling on the assistance number on the expressway.
I start to believe that this guy is indeed genuine with his clear cut requests and information he is telling so far inspite of the lack of ID on him.
So I tell him, okay, I believe you for now as I like to believe in people no matter how they are, but I just hope you do not turn out to be a rouge person and I land up in mess afterwards.
I open the door while the car is still on and let him in and sit in the passenger seat beside me.
He laughs and tells me, sir, do not worry, nothing will happen, take my name, mobile number, jacket number and confirm anywhere you like, and any help you like call on my mobile number, you will be assured of my genuineness.
I laugh to myself that I am probably unnecessarily bothering as this guy looks real straightforward even without the ID on him.
I tell him, if you have any hurry today, I am not the person you should be with. I can drop you off to your location on the expressway but it is going to be slow speed at most 80 kph.
He says, it is ok sir, I had to reach early but my colleagues will manage meanwhile and you drive as you are, nobody will bother you, I am with you and if you come across any problem further on expressway now or ever again just call me on my mobile.
I say to self, fine guy this is, with him I can reap the expressway I want without bother. But today I had planned differently and I continue with the same motto.
So begins our short journey together and we get talking on the way and quite a few aspects come out to me, even if they had been there on the expressway since ages, but ignored by common people.
He gets calls on his mobile and he kind of talks cryptically in some numbers for his duty locations, 90 and 64. As his mobile conversation transpires to me, his duty was supposed to be at 90 but is shifted to 64 now. I catch that and that is something bothering me as to what are these numbers they are talking of.
I go on to ask him his whereabouts, name and how do they work.
He tells me he lives in Lonavala only and gets lift to his duty locations in their own marshal jeeps or some vehicles on the way sometimes. His name is Deepak Gaikwad, number 31, printed on his jacket, which he proudly shows me. They have 12 hour duties, from 8 AM to 8 PM and 8 PM to 8 AM. For every shift change as usual, they get a 24 hour window. So if the day’s duty ends at 8 PM, the shift change to night shift happens at next day’s 8 PM.
While on phone he has some talks with his colleagues and officials on reasons for the duty post change. Earlier he is slated to be posted at 90, which is told him to be changed to 64.
I am wondering what is this 90 and 64?
After sometime we are nearing a spot under a flyover on the expressway, on the right side is a village, of which I forgot the name. He asks me to pull aside on the shoulder under the bridge and stop for some time. He requests if I am in hurry as he has some confirmation calls to make. I tell him I am fine as long as it is not going to take half an hour as I have to catch some appointment in Pune.
He makes some confirmatory calls again. He says thank you for the lift and this is the place he has to get down. He is going to get down, when my curiosity rises again and I end up asking the question about the magic numbers before he is off the car.
I ask him you were talking about the numbers 90 and 64 with your duty having changed to later. What are these numbers?
Now, it is highly possible many out there know the significance. However, atleast I did not know about them to the core until that moment, although I had guesses on what it could be.
What followed was quite a substantial nice information from him on the safety assistance measures implemented on the expressway. Deepak particularly asked me to observe all these measures put up on way as I was going towards Pune and call him once I reached Pune. I promised him I was going to call up without fail as soon as I finish the expressway and about to enter Pune city. However, even before I was just about the new stadium coming up besides the expressway, he called up to ask and I just told him I am yet to finish the drive to the end and will call him up asap I exit. He wondered how come I am not yet out of the expressway. I reminded him how slow I was driving and he laughed at it.
A little later, as I exited the expressway and was at the Pune entry point after the bridge, I pulled over to the shoulder and called him, thanked him profusely for opening my eyes and giving this valuable information which atleast I did not realize until then.
Last edited by parsh : 27th March 2013 at 18:41.
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