[sajo]

Started out yesterday at 6.45pm. Reached home at 8.15. Felt stupid apologising to client for joining an 8pm call at 8.15. There was no procession blocking our way. Just plain and simple congestion because of too many vehicles on too narrow a road.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

The situation really got me thinking - Is it correct to block traffic for religious celebrations? Be it Ganpati, Palkhi or any other celebrations.

Originally Posted by amitwlele

I think the issue is even without the festivals we face traffic jams and that is what irritates us. If that would not have been the case traffic diversions during festivals which are few in between would not have been such a bother.

Gents, with all due respect to whoever and their pets the problem is that we do everything on the streets.

Weddings, funerals, festivals, celebrations, protests, processions, meetings, phone calls, fireworks, selling, buying, urinating, spitting, name it and it is done on the streets or pavements. Till we stop considering roads/ streets as public gathering places this will not improve. Unfortunately this discipline should have been enforced about 20 - 25 years ago when traffic was less and use of personal vehicles was still limited. It would have been easier to enforce and inculcate in a population getting used to utilising their private vehicles.

I am afraid whatever will be done now will restrict the disease but not cure it. Arrogance is not only widespread but deeprooted. It is visible in all places and people, right from the guy honking in a traffic jam to the morons weaving in and out of speeding vehicles. After all no one wants to stay put on the road, but everyone wants to reach their destinations in the shortest time.

Roads are also blocked abroad for certain events. For example, the Champs Elysees in Paris is closed for the Tour de France final laps and for the National day parade. This is clearly notified with barricades and updates are available online/ GPS and there are cops to help with detours. In case of the everyday traffic jams, I never saw anyone rushing up the wrong side or breaking lanes without indications or a good reason. While travel time may not reduce there (and in other countries across Europe/ US) at least the drive is less stressful than if we keep expecting everyone to act as a moron.

Edit: expectations which everyone exceeds unfortunately

[athanedar]

You are right Swanand. I got fed up of the everyday traffic jam during rush hours and have altered my schedule. I generally reach office before 8 am and leave by 5:00pm. Then sometimes log in from home after 7:00pm to take care of pending activities.

Morning commute : Chandani chowk to Phase 2 : 25 minutes
Evening commute : max 35 minutes

This has suited me quiet well.

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Traffic is generally thin between 8:00AM to 8:30AM. Post that, it starts to pile up.
While leaving, it is generally better to leave before 5 to avoid all traffic. Problem is, no one can really leave that early, unless logging in from home (a la Remington Steele).

[noopster]

Swanand- in response to your question, NO it is certainly not correct to block public roads in the name of religious and cultural events. At the very least these need to be properly monitored and free-access alternatives provided to commuters. The authorities need to realise that taking the Hinjewadi road is the ONLY option for all the one lakh or so people who work in this blessed suburb and live elsewhere. It's not like we can hop on the metro or monorail instead.

Having said that, the single most common reason for traffic snarls continues to be that most abundantly available human quality: stupidity. We were a line of cars waiting patiently for a procession led by a truck coming the other way. Suddenly this smartass decides he has had enough and zooms ahead on the right. Thankfully nobody let him back in and last I saw he was desperately trying to poke his snout back in as the angry processioners bore down on his bonnet. Tee hee.

On a more tragic note, I heard a motorbiker got swept away in the "waterfall" that has come up that cuts right across the orange route. Have decided not to take this road for now. Though frankly- we're fast running out of options.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Very true Noop. Religious activities/processions causing traffic snarls are only the tip of the iceberg. The real culprit is us, our tendency to show that each one is more important than the other. Absolute lack of respect towards the law and "I am so and so's nephew" ticket is what causes most of the problems.

A short term solution to the problem - Why cant they make the entire strecth from Wakad bridge to Mezza9 a one way during peak hours? That way, a lot of time and energy can be saved. The opp direction traffic can use the village route to get in/out of Hinjewadi during that time.

However, I doubt if the situation in Hinjewadi would ever improve.

[anilisanil]

Guys any update on today's condition? Would it be like yesterday? Should I take the nande-sus route today as well?

[Swanand Inamdar]

Anil, how bad is the Nande-Sus road? Is it worth the effort, and risking the Laura on bad stretches?

[anilisanil]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Anil, how bad is the Nande-Sus road? Is it worth the effort, and risking the Laura on bad stretches?

To be very frank, it is worse than the Orange route, but only for a few odd stretches. I manage to take my figo w/o any scraping, but you feel like sitting in ship in a storm for some time.

Whether it is worth the effort or not depends on how bad the traffic is, if you take this route , you will be at Sus road in less than 30 minutes no matter what. So if the jam is bad, one time is not a bad bet, but mind you I emphasize the roads are very bad and I manage by steering around the gaps in the pot holes, so it is kind of fun if done once in a while

P.S: I am leaving now and would take the nanded-sus road! Let me know if you gonna join :P

P.P.S: Just called Anoop who seems to have got stuck at Phase 1. He tells me that traffic is not moving an inch when I called him.

Sajo?

[anilisanil]

Guys, I was in my car by 1830 and am posting this @ 1918!! Looks like its a good deal. How is the traffic condition now?

P.S: Just got an update, traffic was OK and was as usual, so it is not that great a deal

[noopster]

Yeah traffic started moving after you hung up Clear stretch across the flyover and onto the bypass- took just under an hour to reach home which is not bad.

Am changing my timings- will leave home at 7.45 and out of 'office by 5.30- let's see if that works!

[C300]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

A short term solution to the problem - Why cant they make the entire strecth from Wakad bridge to Mezza9 a one way during peak hours? That way, a lot of time and energy can be saved. The opp direction traffic can use the village route to get in/out of Hinjewadi during that time.

However, I doubt if the situation in Hinjewadi would ever improve.

Yes, I doubt the situation can be improved with the current setup. If they make Wakad Bridge to Mezza9 a one way then all the four lanes will try to merge at Mezza9 creating chaos.

IMO only solution is an alternate route to Phase 2/3 directly from Balewadi or from Pirangut which is a distant dream.

I wonder what will happen when phase 3 will operate at full capacity in next couple of years (considering TCS centre will house 25k employees). We will start seeing jams starting Infosys phase 2 circle

[athanedar]

That is a scary situation C300. Work for minimum 9 hours then minimum 3.5 hours of commute per day. Work life balance going for a toss.

Its high time that some movement like ANNA takes place to ensure we have few good alternate roads to Phase 2 / 3.

[sajo]

FWIW , there is this petition floating around in mails :

Please Improve Hinjewadi Roads, Traffic, Transport Service Petition

I have signed it, but it wont/doesnt solve our basic problem of indisciplined and self-centered motoring.


@Anil : Whoops. Sorry man. Saw your post right now.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Left DLF at 7:15PM last evening and reached home at 8:00PM! Took the left from Mezza9. Though the condition of the road isnt worth writing home about, the traffic is generally less. I was on the bypass in 12 minutes! Thats the quickest Ive reached from DLF!

Ojas: Signing up too. But the cynic in me honestly doubts if things would ever improve!

[selfdrive]

It took me 12 minutes today to reach the Wakad flyover from Kothrud (8:09 to 8:21am). Traffic on the bypass was not sparse but moving quickly. Traffic on the flyover was moving too but slowly.

I did not go into Hinjewadi, but I presume as usual it must have been worse from there onwards.