[rahul_intlad]

There is this bridge across sinhagad road on the Katraj-dehu road bypass[towards mumbai] which is the only bad stretch on this relatively good road.No initiative was being taken for a few years now and thought I should try my luck my sending an email to NHAI without any belief that action would be taken.

But suprise suprise,Here's the reply I have recieved from NHAI,
************************************************** **
NHAI/CM/O&M/WD-Pune 03-01-2006

(rahul_intlad@yahoo.co.in)
Sub: Email regarding appalling condition of Singhad bridge on the Katraj-Pune bypass on NH-4

Ref: Your email dated 20-11-2006
The work for major rehabilitation of the bridge mentioned in your email i.e. Sinhagadh bridge, has been included in our tender for the construction of service road on westerly diversion(Pune bypass). This has already been finalized and the contract agreement is likely to be signed soon. In the mean time, the bridge is being maintained in traffic worthy condition through routine repairs by our O&M contractor.The inconvenience caused to you, is sincerely regretted.

Thanking you,

(A K Jha)Manager(CM-I)

************************************************** ******

India is sure shining ,Government officials responding and taking action in response to emails wow.

[hvkumar]

Very inspiring indeed that government has responded!
I remember 2 years ago I wrote a mail to the NHAI website but did not get any reply. The matter that I raised may be still relevant today. I was driving on teh Kolhapur/Kagal-Belgaum NH4 section. At the Kagal toll gate (Karnataka), there are huge signboards, all in Kannada. Not a single place except a small (A4 size) paper notice mentioned the toll fees in English/Hindi. I asked the toll gate attendant that how are we supposed to know what the toll fees are - to which he replied that we should learn Kannada! I wrote to NHAI saying that the so-called national highways are built with national money and not to pander to regional and jingoistic aspirations. This is an important national highway and not some Karnataka district road funded by the State government. I am paying a cess of Rs 1 for the last many years to fund these Central Govt-sponsored roads. Plus I am also levied a toll fee. And this is what we have to hear - needless to say, NHAI did not respond. And I find no significant improvement even today.

[akroy]

WOW, Thats indeed India Shining...
Coz, I send a mail to NHAI while planning for my Kolkata trip but no reply so far...

Abhi

[amit]

India shining? Crap I say. I was driving to Nashik a few weeks back and close to Nashik there is a old, rickety narrow bridge with speed breakers on either side to slow traffic down. On the side of the road there is board that says proudly in bold letters : CAUTION. WEAK BRIDGE, GO SLOW. What the hell?! Will the bridge not collapse if I drive slowly over it? And what happens if that bridge collapses? Will the government turn back and say, look we warned you through the board that the bridge is weak. If you drove over it and it fell it's not our responsiblity! Sure they are building a new one next to it but it's still months away from completion. In the meanwhile, all traffic goes over this weak bridge risking lives and vehicles as it's the only way towards Nashik.

By the way, it took me 15 hours to complete approximately 550kms that day. Thats about 37kmph! Did someone say HIGHWAY? Even the remotest village in a western country has better roads then the highways we have here.

[tsk1979]

NHAI has more bad point than good.
The Doraha Toll gate near Ludhiana collects 45rs from cars, and for heavy vehicles the toll is much more. Since industrial traffic is heavy to Ludhiana its one of the highest toll collection points in India. But the condition of the road before and after that toll gate(the entire road is toll, with first toll in punjab at shambhu border) is apalling.
Recently they refilled the potholes with tar, instead of relaying.
Inspite of repeated complaints that section is not being properly repaired. Wonder where is the money going.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by amit

By the way, it took me 15 hours to complete approximately 550kms that day. Thats about 37kmph! Did someone say HIGHWAY? Even the remotest village in a western country has better roads then the highways we have here.

Also the remotest villager in the western country knows better than to run around or take his cows for a walk, on the highway.

why only blame the governance. what about your contribution ? have you seen the GQ highways ? have you seen the accidents there ? whose fault is that ? the governments ? All the money in the world cannot buy sense, that has to be inculcated. this is where we indians have to improve. we can lay roads to travel at 200kmph, but the sense that the road belongs to vehicles & not to cows/people should come from within.
cheers

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Also the remotest villager in the western country knows better than to run around or take his cows for a walk, on the highway.

why only blame the governance. what about your contribution ? have you seen the GQ highways ? have you seen the accidents there ? whose fault is that ? the governments ? All the money in the world cannot buy sense, that has to be inculcated. this is where we indians have to improve. we can lay roads to travel at 200kmph, but the sense that the road belongs to vehicles & not to cows/people should come from within.
cheers

Well even the government is made up of people.... and in the end the citizens of this 'once great nation' are to be blamed.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad

In the mean time, the bridge is being maintained in traffic worthy condition through routine repairs by our O&M contractor.The inconvenience caused to you, is sincerely regretted.

Thanking you,

(A K Jha)Manager(CM-I)

Rahul, while I cheerfully applaud your initiative in sending an email I would also like you to know that the so called O&M contractor has surely not stepped on the bridge yet for the fear of falling off mebbe. The condition has worsened in recent days and the metal plate between each separate block of the bridge has started coming off and is also a safety hazard. I would have really say India shining if the O&M contractor turned the bridge usable as soon as Mr. Jha received an email from you. But I am expecting too much.

[amit]

why only blame the governance. what about your contribution ?

If you are asking about my personal contribution, I stop at traffic lights despite continous honking and being called a nuisance by my fellow citizens, I don't stop in the right most lane to drop off passengers or to enjoy the scenery, I pay the toll's , I pay taxes and when I am a pedestrian, I try and cross at zebra crossings while getting abused and honked at even though it is MY RIGHT OF WAY at that moment. I say "try to cross at zebra crossings" because at most traffic lights there are no zebra crossings. I am sure you will agree that this is pure and simple poor governance. And yes, when I am driving I have stopped and allowed pedestrians to cross especially when they are at zebra crossings. I admit I don't do that all the time, I would love to but I can't because the vehicle coming in the lane next to me may not stop and run over the pedestrian!

have you seen the GQ highways ?

Yes I have seen them and driven on them and IMO they are outdated from day one. For a country thats growing at an average of 9% per annum, how long due you think 4 lane highways will last before they get jammed? At the most there are 6 lanes. Sure the government doesn't have that much money to build 10 lane highways right now but are they leaving provisions to widen the roads in later years? I am already seeing resorts and hotels coming up on the sides on some of the GQ's.

have you seen the accidents there ? whose fault is that ? the governments ? All the money in the world cannot buy sense, that has to be inculcated.

I agree partly with you on that. Not everyone is going to take an effort to learn better driving techniques and that is why licensing systems abroad are as stringent as they are. We may marvel at the driving standards abroad but they would be as bad as us if the government there wasn't strict about issuing licences. Over here, driving licences are issued like toffee's.

we can lay roads to travel at 200kmph

If only life was as simple as that. This aspect is extremely worrying to me. It's not as simple as making smooth, pot hole free roads. Do we and does the government even realise that there is something called safety even in designing roads? What about traffic signs? Most of our roads, highways included, have barely any signs about change in road conditions etc. The entire mindset has to change here. The worst example of our terrible mindset is the signs during construction work on the roads. Sure there are warning signs put up but whats the point of putting up "Caution Work in Progress" boards right at the spot where the work is happening?! You don't need to be a genius or you don't need to go abroad to understand these things. Traffic management is a science and this is way beyond the scope of both the people and the government here. It's better we call in experts from abroad who will design roads and licensing tests for us. If we can have a foreign cricket coach, we can have a foreign road design and traffic management expert too!

[DRC]

Wouldn't have said it better....

Even more basic is that we (citizens and governament) have not made it a point to include basic discipline in out school books. With this there is no way we are expecting law abiding citizens in future keep everyone's life safe.