The distance to Surat from Kolhapur is 643 kms. I hoped to beat the morning rush traffic with the 7.15 am start from Hotel Rasika Renaissance, Kolhapur. By the time I reached Karad in less than an hour I had to use my lane weaving skills to the max. Thereafter, the level of traffic grew and grew. I was surprised by the cargo traffic. The effects of the lockdown is well and truly over, I think. People and cargo tell that story, indeed.
The Hon. Minister in charge of highways, who belongs to the State, must please note that the NH in Maharashtra is a national shame. More so because this stretch is part of the prestigious Golden Quadrilateral. It is a crime to collect toll due to the poor national highway upkeep. Certainly, the rains are not to blame. If they are, Minister Sir, please suspend levy of toll during the monsoon and resume only after they are repaired. Are we paying toll and paying fuel cess for the construction and maintenance of such putrid highways? I think, certainly not. If we cannot make and maintain a prestigious National Highway, what are we going to ‘Make in India’ and is this the limit of our Atma Nirbhartha?
I spent quite some time twiddling fingers behind the wheel than steering the wheel today. Humongous delays at toll gates and the excruciating transfer from the Panvel flyover to the Highway linking Surat near Hotel Fountain took a long time. The Bengaluru-Mumbai by-pass cum flyover avoids congestion and offers better speeds at a Rs. 270 toll ticket. It is nearly 50 km from one end to the other and the roads are well maintained with the maximum speed of 100 kph for cars. While that ride takes you fast and swift to one end of Thane, crossing that complex to get to Fountain Junction is something that got my goat. Braking and waiting seemed to be the standard formula to transit in that miserable stretch. Traffic is snarled up from all directions. If this is the experience on a holiday, the plight of commuters on a normal working day can very well be imagined. Mumbai and its neighborhood are struggling to cope with the traffic and waste disposal. In all, the drive from Kolhapur to Surat consumed 10 and a quarter hours with just a 5 minute break for fueling and toll tickets of Rs. 970.
The pandemic has slowed down the economy and there is a lot of skepticism as to whether it will be back on rails any time soon. The traffic on the roads and delays at toll gates speak otherwise. It is exasperating, however, to be stuck behind slow moving cargo trucks that populate all three lanes, blocking swift passage for other users. While lane discipline has improved plenty in the past few years the disciple of slow moving vehicles adhering to the left most lanes is still a dream. Moreover, the poor maintenance of the trucks and crass overloading worsens matters on the road and leads to unnecessary delays.
Rajiv Shah will be my companion during the travel in Gujarat and Rajasthan. I went to his house after checking into the hotel and freshening up. Hetal laid out a feast of Garlic bread with cream of mushroom soup, corn baked dish, papad wrap, gram gujiya, strawberry cheesecake and White Christmas cake. After all this she insisted that I should have dinner, too. I made haste back to my Ginger Hotel room lest I add inches on demand in Rajiv and Hetal’s company.
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