Maruti offers Rs 90k refund to early buyers of S-Cross


Maruti Suzuki has decided to offer a cash refund of Rs 90,000 to the early buyers of S-Cross 1,600cc variant. The move comes in as a compensation measure after the company slashed price of S-Cross by between Rs 40,000 and Rs 2.05 lakh after a poor response initially.
The bonanza is restricted to only initial buyers of the vehicle as the company had announced the price cut after about one month of its launch on August 4, 2015.
Apart from the cash refund, the company is also offering a two-year extended warranty to buyers, including those who had purchased the 1,300cc variant.
"This is a just a token of gratitude for customers, who showed their faith in us at the start and embraced our new initiatives. S-Cross is a significant milestone for Maruti Suzuki. Through this, we created the premium crossover category in India. We launched our new retail channel Nexa," a company spokesperson said. "Without the support and confidence of these early adopters last year, we could never have achieved success in these new initiatives."
The company has managed sales of 23,000 units of S-Cross since its launch. Company officials said demand of the vehicle has increased after the price correction.
The addition of Baleno compact to the Nexa retail format has also helped in getting a higher visibility for the model as showroom traffic has increased.
The S-Cross had originally been launched with a price tag of Rs 8.34-13.74 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Faulty construction of Swargate Flyover in Pune

Visit Swargate Chowk in Pune & check this engineering marvel which was spotted in December 2015 by Indian Roadie Rahul Naik.

We Indians proudly say that we have the best engineers in the world but I thought twice on this when I came across the flyover construction at Swargate.

You will be shocked to see the offset design of the column & flyover.

Should there be an untoward incident, who will be held responsible?

Kolkata Police promise Moulali To Hastings in 20 mins with a signal-free drive

Signal-free drive on choked artery in Kolkata.

Kolkata Police promise Moulali To Hastings in 20 mins.

Almost nine years after the failed attempt to introduce a "green corridor" on CR Avenue, the Kolkata Police has decided to introduce a “minimum signal“ corridor from Moulali to Hastings on AJC Bose Road. Trials are on and a formal announcement is likely by next month. However, learning from bitter experience, police are stopping short of calling it a `green channel'.

The concept of green corridor is simple -if you get a green signal at Moulali, you will continue to get green all the way up to Hastings. You could sail through some of the biggest crossings - Mullickbazar, Exide and DL Khan-Race Course and smaller but equally time consuming signals, such as Minto Park. If implemented well, it will greatly minimize the bottleneck in the heart of central and south Kolkata.

Right now, it takes at least an hour (sometimes 90 minutes) to cross this 8km stretch, thanks to the long waiting times at crossings and slow speed of traffic. If the new plan works out, it could reduce travel time to a mere 20-22 minutes. Police say they can bring it down to 17 minutes if they can ensure green all through.

Police say there is sound logic for why they believe the AJC Bose Road experiment has potential. "CR Avenue not only has numerous crossings but also has hundreds of slow moving vehicles criss-crossing it. During our green channel experiment, though the waiting time was less, the frequency with which these vehicles broke traffic signals and move right on to CR Avenue defeated our purpose. On the other hand, AJC Road has major crossings and very few slow vehicles," said an officer.

He explained that police have to be careful about two stretches in the last experiment -the one between Ripon Street crossing and Mullickbazar, which has heavy auto movement, and a stretch near Minto Park where there is a lot of criss-cross movement from the smaller roads and bylanes.
But traffic police know there are big question marks on implementation. "We are working on the channels, trying to develop a system that can respond to the situation on the road and change signals on realtime basis. It is not a green channel since vehicles will have to halt at crossings. But this stoppage time will be minimal.Studies show positive results so far," said a senior officer.

DC-traffic V Solomon Nesakumar confirmed the project. "We are experimenting with signals that will see us shift from merely auto-manual time signaling system to a more intelligent one. But we are not looking at a green channel immediately," he said.

Also on the pipeline is the long delayed introduction of Area Traffic Control (ATC) system that was initially expected before Poila Boisakh 2009. Under the new system, if you travel at a steady speed, you can pass the maximum number of signals without having to stop at a red light. As many as 99 crossings in the Central Business District will be in the ATC loop. Traffic information boards will be set up at most major crossings to inform motorists about the roads to take and avoid.

It aims to make the signalling system less dependent on individual cops. "We are factoring in the drastic change in vehicle pattern on some roads.We are engaging several private bodies through PPP model to study the situation," said a traffic officer.

(Source: Toi Kolkata dated 2016-03-20)

Bhoramdeo Siva stone temple, near Raipur

An Indian Roadie fan from Pune had to drive to ‪‎Bhilai‬ and ‪#Raipur‬ for official work in end February 2016.

He could manage to squeeze out some time to visit the ‪#‎BhoramdeoSivaTemple‬.

This is what he reported:

A visit to the Bhoramdeo Siva stone temple built in 11the century AD (in the reign of Naga Vamsi kings) on the way to Raipur is a must. It is called the ‪Khajuraho‬ of ‎Chhattisgarh‬. There is hardly anything nearby except a small shop that keeps peanuts and colas which save the hungry souls.

History says that Maharaja Ramachandra was the man behind establishing this famous temple near Raipur where the Bhoramdeo festival is celebrated today. The temple reflects the extraordinary architectural agility.
A nondescript garlanded Nandi greets us as we enter the final stretch of the long, narrow and winding road to the Bhoramdeo temple precincts.

Suman Paul got his Hyundai Santro AT transferred from Bangalore RTO to Kolkata RTO

Few months back I, Suman Paul (FB @ architectsuman) was enquiring with you about the process of transffering a car inter-state. Most of you suggested to sell and buy a new one. I went against the wise advices. Took the plunge to see it through. Saw some good stuff and saw some ugly stuff in the process. It is tough to achieve it but doable in India with government. Jotting down here, If it helps anyone in future. Its a long read.
And thanks to all who adviced me wisely.

CAR TRANSFER
The reasons of not selling the car and go for a new one :
1. This automatic santro car was one among the last few manufactured in India before Huyindai had stopped production. It is a fantastic car to drive anywhere by anybody which never gave any failure except few occassional flats.
2. After using it for 8 years, the car still feels new and refreshing everytime I hold the wheel. The cost is recovered by its use and its a real gain if we can put it to use as long as we can.
3. The cost of a new car would be uneconomical if we had gone for an exchange.
4. Wanted to check how the car inter state transfer system works in India.
Process in Bangalore
1. Get the NOC from police commissioner's office for traffic clearance - got it instantly within 5 minutes
2. Get a pollution check certificate
3. Get bank hypothication clearance certificate
4. Apply to RTO to get RC smart card against old RC book - it came to my address by speed post in 21 days as promised
5. Along with all above documents and insurance copy - submit to RTO with a filled up form for NOC
6. Submit another filled up form to RTO office for ownership change at the new location with new owner's identity proof
7. Submit one emty envelop with stamps and home address written on it along with the forms to RTO

I did not pay a single ruppee for any of the above. All the jobs were done perfectly on time as promised by the officials at RTO office. I never follwed up with anybody by any means. Extremely satisfying experience at Bangalore RTO.

Further process specified by Bangalore RTO
1. Take the car to Kolkata along with all NOC and original documents
2. Immediately report to the RTO at Kolkata and they will verify all the documents and give a Migration certificate with which the car can be driven there for 45 days legally
3. Submit all the documents along with filled up specified forms to Kolkata RTO
4. Kolkata RTO will tell the amount of Road Tax payable on the basis of depreciated car value
5. Pay the Tax and collect the Tax paid reciept
6. RTO will issue a new RC smart card with new owner's name
7. Bring the Tax paid reciept copy to Bangalore and apply to RTO office for Tax refund
8. Bangalore RTO will verify with Kolkata RTO and refund the over-paid tax amount through bank transfer to my account

Absolutely clean methodical and logical process.

With all the documents and the car we four set off to Kolkata by road for a three days trip. This is another story for another day.
After reaching Kolkata, we tried to do the steps exactly how it was told in Bangalore RTO and that point of time we actually felt that the car is transferred to a new place called Kolkata.

Chronicle in Kolkata RTO
1. Many desks in RTO said that it can not be done for various reasons - all were baseless
2. Find some connection through known people just to start the process
3. Repeated visits to RTO just submit documents
4. Submitted documents one day and visiting after 2 weeks, nothing moved, so withdrawn all the original documents
5. Appointed one agent who ran away after couple of weeks
6. Appointed one more new agent who charged a bomb
7. After many visits to RTO, finally it got done
8. We paid road tax of Rs. 40000 which were calculated based on the new car value and not as per depriciated value - RTO said this is the rule of west bengal government to collect more tax
9. RTO charged Rs. 7000 as fine of late submission of documents - pointless to even think about it
10. RTO charged Rs. 5500 for audio system in nthe car - heard about it for the first time in life
11. Our dear agent charged Rs. 19000 to get all these things done
12. After a good six months of effort, the car got changed to my mother's name and have recieved the new RC smart card
13. Yet to get the audio tax paid reciept
14. The car is legally ready to drive on west bengal roads now

The take away from the whole process is - If we consider Bangalore as a third world place then Kolkata would be a sixth world place and it is beyond doubt.

So finally the mission is accomplished - we could retain the car with us and it is helping greatly over there and even after spending so much money at Kolkata RTO, still it worked out cheaper than exchanging the car with a new one.

One needs lot of patience to do some work with Government offices in India.

P.S: Copied verbatim from a Facebook post by Suman Paul on 2016-03-21. He has transferred his Hyundai Santro AT car from Bangalore to Kolkata.

Himalayan Drive 4 (HD4) by Just Sportz in February - March 2016

A rally in the lush tea gardens of north Bengal and picturesque hairpin bends in Bhutan promises to bring back the motorsport spirit in Kolkata.
For a city whose many glorious chapters have closed one by one, here is one that has just reopened. Kolkata, which cradled motorsports -India's first mot orsports club, the Calcutta Motorsports Club (CMSC), was founded by Suresh Kumar, elder brother of tennis ace Naresh Kumar in the city way back in 1949 -is once again drawing motorsports enthusiasts from across the country . Thanks, in no small measure, to `Himalayan Drive', a time-speed-distance (TSD) rally that has come to occupy pride of place in the motorsports calendar of India.

The rally, whose fourth edition just got over, is the only international TSD rally from India and is organized by `Just Sportz', a Kolkata-based sports management company.`Himalayan Drive', with JK Tyre as its title sponsor is, in itself, a unique rally because of its route that takes competitors through lush forests, tea gardens, riverbeds, mountain roads and verdant valleys that not only present countless picturesque sights to behold, but also put to severe test the mettle of drivers and navigators alike. Himalayan Drive 4, held from February 28 to March 3, included two legs in Bhutan. And Himalayan Drive 5, says Just Sportz director Tamal Ghoshal, will include Nepal as well (in addition to Bhutan) to make it one of the very few tri-nation TSD rallies in the world.



Himalayan Drive 4 (or HD4) got a ceremonial flag-off from Siliguri's City Center on February 27 by senior state government officials. The actual rally started the next day, when 27 competitors zipped through the scenic Dooars with its tropical forests, neatly landscaped tea gardens and dry riverbeds to reach Jaigaon town on the Indian side of the India-Bhutan border. From there, the rallyists crossed over to Phuentsholing, the bustling border town inside Bhutan. After clearing all formalities and exchanging greetings with Bhutanese officers, the competitors hit the road to Paro. This 160km run provided a thrilling drive through narrow, winding roads skirting the precipitous Himalayan cliffs, lined with conifers.Each twist and turn of the road presented breathtaking sights that were a wonder to behold.





This road traversed along the Wang Chu (`Chu' is Bhutanese for river), a tributary of the Torsa, before it crossed the river and then ran along the Paro Chu, a river whose crystal-clear waters flowing swiftly over pebbles and rocks made it possible to view even aquatic life in it. For the first dozen-odd kilometres, the smooth road (built by India's Border Roads Organization), with the Paro Chu flowing beside it, sliced through a narrow valley with steep mountains standing sentinel on both sides of the valley. And then the mountains seemed to move apart, revealing the full expanse of the picturesque Paro Valley, said to be one of the most beautiful locales in the world. At this time of the year, the sunlit coat of dry vegetation on the slopes of the mountains ringing the gentle valley take on a surreal, golden hue. The expansive valley, with neat Bhutanese-style bungalows dotting it, is stunning. And above the mountains girding the valley stand the snow-capped peaks, lending the entire landscape a happily ethereal look and feel.





That first leg of the rally ended at the upscale Olathang Hotel, one of the numerous sponsors of the event. The next morning, the competitors were flagged off from the hotel and they went down to the sand and gravel banks of the Paro Chu for a 15km run before hitting the road from Paro to the 3988m (13,084ft) high Chelela Pass that's the highest point on the road to Haa on the Bhutan-Tibet border. Once again, the sights this 60km drive offered were gorgeous: an entire vista of alpine vegetation-carpeted mountains with their snow-capped peaks. Soon, this road turned treacherous with its ice cover, making many competitors' vehicles to skid dangerously .















On Day 3, Paro governor Dasho Thinley Gyaltsen flagged off the rally from the hotel. The competitors then went off-road for about 15km on the banks of the Paro Chu before getting on to the highway to Phuentsholing. From Phuentsholing, the rally ran through several small and one major river crossing along the international border before getting to the border town of Jaigaon.From there, the competitors cut through Chuapara tea estate, Kalchini, the Hashimara and Chilapatha forests, Falakata and Betnaguri to reach Murti beside Gorumara National Park.



The next day's run commenced on an adventurous note -a male elephant wouldn't budge from the rally route from Murti to Chapramari forest. Repeated attempts by wildlife department personnel and police to drive the pachyderm back into the forest not only proved futile, but also irritated the elephant who charged at assembled media persons and police. The organizers were then forced to shift the day's flag-off point to the entrance of the Chapramari forest. From there, the competitors drove through forest tracks and criss-crossed tea gardens, riverbeds and narrow village roads to start their climb up to the hills from Sevoke. The climb to Jorebungalow through e Mungpoo was steep and posed a tough challenge e to the competitors. From Jorebungalow, the rally route ran alongside the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (`toy train') tracks all the way to Darjeeling, where the fourth day's run ended. On a foggy Thursday morning, the competitors were flagged off from Darjeeling's Bhanu Bhawan by Darjeeling Municipality chairman Amar Rai for the last leg of the rally . The com petitors took Hill Cart Road to Ghoom even as the clouds played a game of hide and seek and, at one point, the whistle of a steam engine pierced the morning calm. The sight of a toy train chugging on the mountain tracks with the rally cars whizzing by was exciting. From Ghoom, the competitors took the road to Mirik and crossed Bungkuling and Doodhia to reach Sukna forest, went through tea gardens and ended the rally at the Siliguri Institute of Technology .



At the end of the five-day rally that covered 1050km, Kolkata brothers Sudip and Arindam Ghosh stood first and won a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000, followed closely in the second position by Jogendra Kumar Jaiswal and Prasenjit Roy. The team of Pratik Sirkar and Debashish Ghosh secured third position, while Rajiv Sarkar and Chandu Sekhar duo came fourth. The prize distribution ceremony at Siliguri's City Center was a glittering affair, with performances by Amit Paul and Abhishek Kumar. Bhutan's consul general in Kolkata, Karma T Namgyal, the GOC of Sukna-based 33 Corps, Lt Gen Surinder Singh, and a host of IPS and IAS officers gave away the prizes.

Apart from providing a great driving experience, HD4 was also aimed at promoting Indo-Bhutan ties. This objective, felt Bhutanese envoy Namgyal, has been more than fulfilled.



Also, said Just Sportz Director Tamal Ghoshal, the rally showcased the beauty of north Bengal and Bhutan and would boost the tourism potential of the entire region. Sanjay Sharma, the head of motorsports of JK Tyre, which has been the title sponsor of the rally since its inception in 2013, is excited about the next edition of HD becoming a tri-nation affair. Slated for this year-end, HD5 is expected to not only draw more competitors from across India and even Nepal and Bhutan, it will also put Bengal firmly back on India's motorsports map.

(Source:
The Times of India Kolkata dated 2016-03-12,
Facebook album of Fotoarena,
Indian Roadie member Dr Punyabrata Barma)

Car Sales in India during February 2016

The month of February 2016 has not been a very kind one on the passenger car segment. Most of the car makers have experienced a slowdown in sales with many treading in the negative territory.

Maruti Suzuki India, which holds the top four positions in the top 10 cars list, barely stayed in the positive with just 0.2 percent growth. Three of the top four models from Maruti saw their sales decline. It's compact sedan Dzire, which was the second highest selling car in February with sales of 17,410, was the only Maruti car in the list which saw its sales increase compared to February 2015.



The highest selling car was its entry segment hatchback Alto which sold 21,286 units in the month, a sharp 17 percent fall over the sales in February last year. The other two cars in the top four are Swift and Wagon-R. Swift was at the third position with sales of 15,475 and the Wagon-R managed to hold on to fourth by selling 14,209 which is a percent less than last year.

Maruti's other cars which are in the list include Baleno and Ciaz. The premium hatchback Baleno was launched in October 2015 and since then has performed well for the company. In February, Baleno Sold 6,888 units and secured eighth position in the top ten list.

The executive sedan from Maruti, Ciaz made a quiet comeback into the list despite its sales falling 5 percent as compared to Feb last year. Ciaz was was among the top ten selling cars in the month of November 2015. Ciaz sold 5,162 units in February 2016.

The biggest representation in the list after Maruti was from India's second largest car manufacturer by Volume, Hyundai. The company had three cars in the list positioned at fifth, sixth and ninth positions.

The best performer for Hyundai was Grand i10 which has been giving tough competition to the likes of Maruti Swift and Ford Figo. Grand i10 was the only other car other than Dzire to see its sales grow compared to the performance in February of 2015. The car sold 8,898 units last month, which was a 2 percent increase.

Grand i10 was closely followed by Hyundai's i20 at sixth position with a sales of 8,419 units. This is a steep fall of 18 percent from the previous tally of 10,264 units sold in the corresponding month last year. i20 sales have been dented to a large extent due to Maruti's Baleno.

The biggest hit among the top ten selling cars, percentage fall wise, was taken by Hyundai's Eon which saw a 23 percent reduction in the total unit sales in the month of February. Eon was only able to sell 5,539 last month as compared to 7,200 in February 2015.

However, the standout entry in the list has to be the Renault Kwid for being the only non-Maruti or non-Hyundai car. Kwid has been among the top performers in the industry and also for Renault. The car, which was launched in September 2015, singlehandedly helped Renault post a heady sales growth of 158 percent and that too in a slow market. Renault sold a total of 7,544 units in February 2016.

(Source: Economic Times)

Secondary research.

Roshni Sharma's style of riding a bike

Following are the words of Ms.Roshni Sharma (28) and her style of riding a bike:



I have been asked many a times “What is my riding style” and I felt I should just share some of the things I follow that probably define my riding style.

So, what is my riding style?

I have seen people riding for years and still they lack simple road sense, riding sense and are not even considerate while on roads. Like many other things in the world, biking is also a mind game and it’s not just about learning the skills. When on the road, a good biker is 100% on the road not just physically but mentally. Every single action must take into consideration people and things around you and you must command and control your bike as if it’s your slave. Most important of all, you should know and trust your own abilities.

Apart from acceleration, brake and control are among the most important techniques. You must understand your bike so well that you can feel every single move while you ride. When you are shifting your gears or applying the brakes, you should be able to imagine and feel what’s actually happening inside your bike.

Never ever ignore your safety gears, not just any helmet but make sure it’s a DOT certified full face helmet that fits well.
So, how do I check if my helmet fits well?
I usually wear balaclava or some kind of band underneath my helmet. On top of it when you wear the helmet, shake your head up down and right left. Make sure helmet doesn’t move or slip much when you move your head. That’s it. As simple as that, I follow this as a check when I buy a new helmet.

On the road, I am alert, ready to react quickly and considerate to everything around whether it’s a pedestrian, cyclist, 2 wheeler or small or big vehicles.

A smart biker will never get rid off the side mirrors to get a stylish look. Side mirrors are as important as a headlight in the dark. Pay attention to the honk and react responsibly to it based on situation. You can always ignore them when you are at a signal that has just turned green and some dumb driver desperately keeps honking as if the world is going to end.

No matter how good you are at multi tasking, talking on phone and riding at the same time is a big NO. I don’t remember a single time when I have done that. Kill your careless instincts and just park your bike to the side before trying to pull out your cell from the pocket. I am sure you would not want to end up yourself or to send someone to the hospital just for the sake of one quick call. Same goes with listening to music while riding and it’s a certain distraction no matter how low the volume may be or you may be using just one ear plug. It directly cuts you off from your surrounding and your mind will tend to confuse between sounds and ignore important signals.

Maintain at least 20-30 feet gap from the vehicle ahead. This will help you avoid any panic braking and will give you time to anticipate and read the mind of the driver ahead. I personally also take a note of the vehicle that is in front of the vehicle in front of me and it certainly helps. It’s more like trying to gauge how the vehicle in front of you will react much in advance.

Have a broader visibility of at least around 50 meter on all directions; imagine you are at the center of a circle with a radius of 50 meter. Most of the accidents while turning and over taking can be avoided by keeping this small tip in mind. Shockingly in 90% of the accidents it’s someone else’s fault for which a victim has to pay with his broken bones. So, always make sure no matter how safe or smart driver you are, keep a note of any sudden change of events around you and be prepared to act promptly and intelligently. Just as an example, sometimes you may feel completely safe to overtake but the driver ahead of you may do something stupid and completely unexpected. Need not to mention how disciplined Indian drivers are.

Now, very often riding on Indian highways at a high speed we come across a situation where out of nowhere a dog, cattle or even a human may appear in front of you. By the time you can figure out what’s happening, it’s usually too late and out of panic the first thing you do is to apply the brakes. Not a very good thing to do especially if the speed is high. Judge the situation and simply alter the speed, slightly turn the handle or use your body to change the direction and just pass by the object.

During my recent trip, I was riding at around 100 km on NICE road when all of a sudden a dog came in front and instead of applying brakes I left my throttle, reducing the speed, and judging the speed of the dog I twisted to the right slightly and passed by. It all happened in a matter of seconds but brakes would have made it really bad.

Honk but responsibly. PLEASE honk on blind curves to avoid killing someone.

Handle the gears gently and smoothly. While shifting from any upper gear to say 1st gear, you shouldn’t struggle with too many sounds. If that’s the case, please visit a mechanic and get it sorted and if it still does, than certainly mend your ways.



This is purely the way I ride and my experiences. Everyone has their own style but make sure safety for you and your fellow co-riders should be of utmost importance. I have travelled thousands of miles all alone and on the worst and most dangerous terrains but by God’s grace I am all safe. I have fallen down sometimes but always because of the way I apply brake, however I have improved now especially after the Kerala trip.

No matter how good these tips are and how smart driver one is, sometimes fate takes control but I can assure by taking precautions and always following safe practices one can drastically reduce the risks and keep roads safer.

Pollution spikes during Delhi's odd-even experiment: The odds are even to clean the air in our cities

The pilot phase of the much publicised odd-even scheme in Delhi is now over. Besides Delhi, comprehensive plans are urgently needed to improve air quality across several Indian cities, such as Patna, Gwalior, Raipur, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ludhiana and Amritsar. Although policy interventions primarily target air pollution, it is important to note that traffic congestion has significant economic costs to society .How did Delhi fare on metrics of air quality and congestion ­ and what lessons should other cities draw from the experiment?
The stationary air pollution monitors of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) indicate that average (ambient) PM 2.5 levels increased from 216 µg m3 (26 ­ 31 Dec) to 331 µgm3 (1 ­ 6 Jan) and subsequently declined to 308 µgm3 (7 - 11Jan). As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) PM 2.5 levels that exceed 250 µgm3 correspond to an Air Quality Index of `Severe'. These levels affect healthy people and cause greater distress to those with existing heart or lung disease.
However, a spike in air pollution is not a predictor of failure just as a decline does not indicate policy success. This is because, in the short term, air pollution levels are dominated by meteorological conditions such as winds, rain and temperature.

While establishing a relationship between reduced car numbers and pollution levels is tenuous, the impact on traffic and congestion is purely a function of compliance levels. In order to understand the traffic mix during the odd-even experiment, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) monitored traffic volumes at five important stretches across New Delhi for three weeks (the week before and two weeks of the implementation). In the morning peak (9 am ­ 11 am) we observed that overall vehicle counts increased (by 10%) in the two weeks of January , as compared to the last week of December. However, taxis, 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers and private buses contributed significantly to this increase. The increase ranges from 12% for 3-wheelers to 138% for private buses. This does suggest increased use (or availability) of these alternate modes of transport.

However, the number of private cars remained unchanged.Anecdotal experiences (documented in social media) suggest that commuters experienced lesser congestion on the roads. Congestion data (as recorded from Google Maps), on the other hand, suggests that the travel times were not statistically different between the last week of December and the first week of January .The available metrics are confounding and no definitive conclusion can be made, on the impact of the scheme on traffic and congestion as well. One conjecture is that the baseline chosen for comparison (last week of December) does not represent typical Delhi traffic.

What can other cities learn from this large social experiment?
The absence of conclusive evidence is in large part due to the lack of precise measurements over longer periods of time and across locations. Such short-term policies must be evaluated in a robust framework that focuses on improved measurement at its core.

Despite the short lead time available to prepare for a full-scale monitoring, we also installed low-cost pollution sensors at five locations. We find that the readings (for PM2.5) closely follow those from DPCC (located in the vicinity of our sensors). There is a need to create a network of such low-cost sensors across our cities, and to make residents aware of pollution levels in their respective localities.

Secondly , we need to have more regular source apportionment exercises to understand the changing contributions to pollution from different sources such as waste burning, industrial kilns, road dust, construction, power plants, etc., besides vehicular pollution.In the ideal world, we should be able to characterise the sources of pollution in real time. It would then be possible to understand whether the contribution from vehicles to overall pollution declined due to such policy experiments.

This information would be useful for policymakers to address local area sources of pollution, and empower citizens to take precautionary measures when pollution levels spike. Delhi's experiment, therefore, remains instructive in the bigger battle against pollution in India.

The writers Hem Dholakia and Karthik Ganesan are researchers at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water , New Delhi.

(Source: 2016-01-19 The Times of India, Kolkata)

India Roadie Devang Sutarawala's Mahindra Quanto overturns near Rajamundry on 2015-12-27

Kolkata based Indian Roadie members Devang Sutarawala & his wife had driven to Hyderabad in their Mahindra Quanto in mid-December 2015. On 27th December 2015, they were on their return journey back home. They left Hyderabad early in the morning. Devang had posted an update to the effect on Facebook in the morning.

At 1.20pm, I (Deep Banerjee, the founder of Indian Roadie) got a call on my mobile from a nervous Devang.
Their car had overturned reportedly after the rear right tyre burst or developed a puncture & the mini SUV drifted to the right and banged the median divider. The unfortunate incident happened on NH5 at ‪‎Gandepally‬ about 50 kms north of Rajamundry (Andhra Pradesh).
Vehicle reportedly was badly damaged. Quite a few glasses had broken. Devang sustained cut injuries on his elbow which could have needed stitching. Wife was unhurt.

Flurry of phone calls to all my relevant contacts followed.
The day being the last Sunday in 2015, most of my contacts pan-India were either travelling, partying or had their mobiles switched off.

After a couple of tries, at 2.40pm I could directly get through to Mr.Jagan, General Manager (M&M Business Unit), NM Motors, Rajamundry. He assured me that by 4pm latest a tow van would reach the accident spot to get the Quanto back to Rajamundry well before sunset.
I even requested Mr.Jagan to make arrangements for a safe & comfortable stay for the couple in Rajamundry.

Moments later, I was informed in Kolkata that a tow van was on its way to bring back the car to Rajamundry.

At 6pm, I called Devang & was relieved to know that the car was already inside the M&M workshop of NM Motors. Devang & his wife were on their way to check in at Akansha Inn. Thereafter, Devang visited some clinic to dress up the wound.

Devang called me in Kolkata at 11pm from the decent Akansha Inn, Rajamundry where he had holed up with his wife. Fellow Indian Roadie Yogesh Srivastava, a senior professional with SBI Life Insurance ensured that a junior colleague of his visit Devang at the hotel. Fortunately, Devang's wound did not require stitching, either.
While talking to Devang, it appeared that he had regained much of his composure.
He was about to tuck himself under the blanket for a well deserved sleep.

On 28th morning Devang visited the doctor again for medication, cleaning & dressing of the wound on his elbow.
I had detailed telecons with Devang and Mr.Jagan throughout the day to ensure that the Quanto is restored to its original condition.
Towards the end of 28th December, NM Motors confirmed that the Quanto can be handed over after complete repairs only after 18 - 20 days.

Devang and his wife are scheduled to reach Kolkata by train on Wednesday, 30th December 2015.

Devang, we are all there with you. Kilometers that separate us don't matter.
At ‪Indian Roadie‬ we travel with every roadie (virtually). The least we can ask from every Indian Roadie is to reciprocate and share every information about their drives/ rides with us. Who knows, tomorrow you might be in dire straits on Indian roads!

‪We are always Happy To Help‬.

And Mahindra's tagline 'With you Hamesha' is so apt. The entire network in Mahindra & Mahindra across India should ensure that the good work continues.

The 'weblink' to the post on the Indian Roadie page in Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/indianroadie/posts/1011976628843488

Bangalore to Kasaragod - Indian Roadie Preferred Route, Best Route For Road Trip, Motoring Route, Driving Route

Best Route For Road Trip, Indian Roadie Preferred Route, Motoring Route, Driving Route from 

Bangalore to Kasaragod 

(Bangalore_Kasaragod): 

Bangalore (KA) ---- Proceed on NH48 towards Tumkur ---- Malleshwaram ---- Yeshwanthpur ---- Nelamangala ---- Vajarahalli ---- Hatna ---- Bellur Cross ---- Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences (on right) ---- Hirisave ---- Hassan (KA) ---- Sakleshpur (KA) ---- Manjarabad Fort (on left) ---- Maranhalli - Gundya (RA: Shiradi Ghat. Turn left on Karnataka SH114 for Jalsoor) ---- Bilinele ---- Subrahmanya Temple (proceed on SH85) ---- Paichar (proceed on NH275 upto Jalsoor) ---- Jalsoor KA) ---- Muliyar ---- Kasaragod Bypass (KL) via SH55  

Distances: 

Bangalore to Kasaragod via Hassan, Sakleshpur, Jalsoor = 374 kms. 

Bangalore to Hassan = 183 kms. 

Hassan to Sakleshpur = 41 kms. 

Sakleshpur to Jalsoor = 100 kms. 

Jalsoor to Kasargod = 50 kms. 

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the time taken to drive between Bangalore and Kasaragod should be around 7.30 hrs. 

* Karnataka Trails 

* Kerala Trails 

Note: These are user generated best routes. 

Abbreviations in use in Motoring Routes Of India, Indian Roadie Preferred Route, Motoring Route, Driving Route:

RA = Road Ahead.
ROR = Road on Right.
ROL = Road on Left.
NH = National Highway.
SH = State Highway.
NE = National Expressway.  

P.S: 

- Offline Driving Route In One Page 

- Best Intercity Driving Route  

- User Generated Best Routes  

- Skip Online Navigation Maps 

- Skip Google Maps 

. 
. 
. 

* Motoring Routes of India, Best Route For Road Trip are initiatives by Indian Roadie (India's most admired road travel and automotive forum for matured roadies) and Marketingpundit. 

P.S: Search thousands of accurate and best route options for road trips throughout India, Nepal, Bhutan in: 

www.indian-roadie.blogspot.com, 

www.bestrouteforroadtrip.blogspot.com, 

www.facebook.com/MotoringRoutesOfIndia 

6800 kms Indian Beach Drive - Day 1 of 19 (2015-03-18) - Kolkata to Vizag by Deep Banerjee

2015-03-18 - Day 1 - Start of an epic 19 days and 6800 kms long solo Indian Roadie Beach Drive with wife, daughter, brother-in-law and his wife to all five states in South India, Konkan coast of Karnataka, Goa from Kolkata, India in my 2011 Volkswagen Vento TDI. 

Left residence near Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata at 3-45am, with odometer reading showing 22830 kms and tripmeter reading showing 0 kms. 

Daughter Diksha, a big road travel enthusiast is visibly happy. 

Left Ashabari Housing Complex, Baisnabhghata Patuli after picking up my bother-in-law (Anjan da) and his wife at 4.30am. 

Target destination for the day: Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. 

Could reach: Visakhapatnam. 

2015-03-18 - Day 1 of 19 - At 6-07am, cruising over the Rupnarayan River bridge before Kolaghat. On Rupnarayan River bridge, tripmeter reading for the day showed 87 kms (Odometer reading: 22917 kms).

Crossing Sher-E-Punjab Hotel, Kolaghat just across the bridge over River Rupnarayan.

Quite a few flyovers are being constructed on NH6 between Kolaghat and Kharagpur.
This and the adjoining rumbles slowed down my average rolling pace considerably early during Day 1 (2013-05-18). 

West Land Baroma Hospital on NH6 looked clean and bright against the rising sun.

Bartaman publications office on NH6, also looks bright.

Bright and colourful! On NH6, somewhere between Kolaghat and Kharagpur.

Note the quantum of luggage!

2015-03-18 - Day 1 - Me with my 2011 Volkswagen Vento TDI. 

This was the 1st stop on NH60 from 7.35am to 7.40am, 181 kms from flag off, to stretch arms, somewhere near Belda, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal. 

Balasore is 85 kms and Bhubaneswar 280 kms ahead.

Roadtrip from Kolkata to Leh Ladakh and back in May - June 2015

Indian Roadie Soumitra Bhattacharjee, a Kolkata based lawyer by profession started planning for a solo-drive with family to Leh Ladakh in end April 2015.
In barely a month thereafter, he was on the road for one of the most challenging drives in India. He was absolutely aware that the drive to Ladakh via Zojila Pass in May will be one of immense hardship because of slippery ice on the steep inclines, thick walls of ice on both sides of the treacherous road, slush, landslides and all the vagaries of nature.
He successfully completed a 6569 km / 15 days solo-drive from Kolkata to Leh/ Ladakh and back to Kolkata in his 2*2 Mahindra Scorpio SUV with wife, daughter and mother-in-law.
The epic drive commenced from Kolkata 25th May 2015 (Monday).

After leaving Kolkata at 6.30am, the drive took him through Asansol, Barhi, Sasaram, Varanasi, Allahabad, all on NH2 and 800 kms away. He crossed Allahabad around 8pm. He drove past Kanpur, another 200 kms north of Allahabad at 11.30pm.
The thrill of driving to Ladakh was motivation enough for him to drive upto 2.30am and that is when he decided to have a short nap inside his Mahindra Scorpio for a little over 3 hrs only.
In the forenoon hours of Day 2, he had crossed Etawah, Agra and was cruising along India's famed Yamuna Expressway.



25th May 2015 (Day 1) to 26th May 2015 (Day 2):
Kolkata – Varanasi – Kanpur – Yamuna Expressway – Ambala – Kharar - Rupnagar – Hoshiarpur – Dasuya – Pathankot – Samba – Udhampur – Patnitop.
Distance covered on Day 1 and 2 together 2234 km.
Start of Day 1 from Kolkata at 6.30 am.
Reached Patnitop on Day 2 at 11.30 pm without checking in at any hotel between Day 1 and Day 2.


First view of Kashmir valley.




Sunset at Dal Lake on Day 3 of 15.




27th May 2015 (Day 3):
Patnitop – Srinagar.
Distance 195 km.
Started at 10.30am.
Reached at 6.30 pm.






































28th May 2015 (Day 4):
Srinagar - Sonamarg - Zojila - Drass - Kargil.
Distance 235 km.
Started at 8.30 am .
Reached at 7.00 pm.





























29th May 2015 (Day 5):
Kargil - Mulbek - Namik La - Lamayaru - Khaltse - Nimmu - Magnetic Hill - Leh.
Distance 260 km.
Started at 8.30 am.
Reached at 5.30 pm.







Shanti Stupa is a white-colored domed-shaped structure, located in Chandspa which looks extremely beautiful during night when it is illuminated. This peace pillar was built by a ‘peace sect’ of Japanese Buddhist organization to celebrate the completion of 2500 years of Buddhism and for the promotion of world peace. It was inaugurated by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in 1985. This pillar is known for its gilt panels depicting the life stories of Lord Buddha. It is just 5 kms away from the main city of Leh and is surrounded the traditionally built houses of the locals and snow-covered mountains. Take the steep slights to reach the Stupa that offers beautiful sunrise and sunset views.






Hall of Fame, located near the Leh Airfiled, is a museum constructed as well as maintained by the Indian Army in the memory of the soldiers who had lost their lives during the Indo-Pak wars. It is also termed as a memorial for the war heros. This building consists of two floors. While on the ground floor, there is information about the brave soldiers as and a souvenir shop but on the first floor, there are artifacts of various wars (mainly Kargil war) such as the weapons used during the war and some important documents, related to the same. There is another section dedicated to the Siachen glacier.





30th May 2015 (Day 6):
Leh rest and acclimatization. Also Leh local sightseeing.

31st May 2015 (Day 7):
1st half - Spituk Gompha, Leh palace.
2nd half - Shey Palace, Santi Stupa, Leh Market.
Distance 80 km.

Leh and around:::
Leh Palace:
Leh Palace was built during the 17th century by the ruler King Sengge Namgyal. Its construction is on the same lines as the construction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This palace had to be deserted by the royal family in the middle of the 19th century, because of the taking over of Ladakh by Dogra forces. After this the royal family is living in-exile in the popular Stok Palace. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is restoring some of the ruined portions of this nine-storey palace. While the store rooms were on the lower floors, the royalty resided on the upper floors. The roof of this palace offers an excellent view of the valley.

Jama Masjid:
Located in the heart of Leh town is the Jama Masjid, which is one of the major historical mosques in Ladakh. This mosque is considered to be the biggest mosques in the Ladkah region and consists of a memorial which is known as Shahi Hamdan. This memorial is made in dedication to Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, a Muslim Sufi Saint. It was built in 1666-67 A.D. as a result of an agreement between Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor and the then ruler of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal. Since the time of its construction, the mosque has been dismantled and re-constructed using new techniques.

Stok Palace:
Stok Palace, built by King Tsespal Tondup Namgyal in 1825, in the present times is the residential palace of the royal descendants of King Sengge Namgyal. The architecture of this palace is a perfect mix of the traditional and the contemporary architectural styles. This palatial property consists of a number of beautiful gardens as well as a library that has around 108 volumes of the Kangyur (a collection of teachings of Lord Buddha). The palace is located around 15 kms away from the main city of Leh. This palace hosts an annual dance-mask festival in which there is a huge participation by the locals. There is also a collection of royal clothing, crowns and other important things which you can see while on the excursion of the palace.

















01st June 2015 (Day 8):
Leh - Khardung la - Diskit - Hunder.
Distance 145 km.
Started at 9.40 am.
Reached at 5.30 pm.




02nd June 2015 (Day 9):
Hunder - Agam - Sheyok - Pangong.
Distance 175 km.
Started at 9.00 am.
Reached at 5.45 pm.

03rd June 2015 (Day 10): Spangmik - Man - Merak - Chusul - Tsaga - Nyoma - Mahe - Sumdo - Tso Moriri - Korzok and back to Leh.

04th June 2015 (Day 11): Leh sightseeing.

05th June 2015 (Day 12): Leh - Kargil - Srinagar - Pahelgaon.

06th June 2015 (Day 13) to 8th June 2015 (Day 15): Pahelgaon - Udhampur - Samba - Pathankot - Ludhiana - Ambala - Yamuna Expressway - Varanasi - Kolkata.


Route from Pangong Tso Lake to Hanle:

There exist a direct route between Hanle / Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso as well. In most cases, one drives the direct route of Pangong Tso to Hanle because drivers/ riders can exit Ladakh from Tso Moriri towards Manali Leh Highway after visiting Hanle and Tso Moriri without coming back towards Leh.

Secondly, both Hanle and Tso Moriri is higher than Pangong Tso so as per acclimatization schedule one should stay near Pangong Tso before spending night at Hanle and Tso Moriri. However, all depends subject to the approval of permits for this route via Chusul. Foreigners are not at all allowed to go beyond Man – Merak Villages as permits are not issued to them for this route.

Spangmik (Pangong Tso) – Man (9 KMs) – Merak (12 KMs)– Kakstet (4 KMs) – Chusul (24 KMs) – Tsaga La (33 KMs) – Tsaga Village (20 KMs) – Loma (23 KMs) – Hanle(51 KMs) = 176 KMs

Route from Hanle to Tso Moriri:
After visiting Hanle, one can opt to go towards Tso Moriri from where one can either go to Ladakh or exit towards Manali via Manali Leh Highway.
There exist two routes to reach Tso Moriri from Hanle, one via Mahe bridge and other via Chumur.
The route to follow to reach Tso Moriri from Hanle via Mahe bridge: Hanle – Loma (51 KMs) – Nyoma (22 KMs) – Mahe (25 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Tso Moriri / Korzok (53 KMs) = 161 KMs


Most difficult stages of the drive:
Nubra to Pangong.
Pangong to Tso Moriri.


Tariffs and names of hotels where Soumitra and family stayed:

Patnitop: Hotel Greentop, Padora Enclave, Patnitop, Udhampur, J&K - 182142. Ph: 01992287529. (Tariff @ Patnitop Rs.800).

Srinagar: Hotel Mount Inn, Old Gagribal Road, Durgjan, Srinagar, J&K - 190001. Ph: 09906728273. (Tariff @ Srinagar Rs.1500).

Kargil: J&K Tourism Facilitation Centre, Kargil. (Tariff @ Kargil Rs.800)

Leh: Solpon Guest House, Changspa Rd, Leh. Ph: 09906994466. (Tariff @ Leh Rs.1000).

Nubra: Ldumra Oasis Guest House, Hundar 194101, Nubra. (Tariff @ Nubra Rs.800).

Pangong: Can’r recall (Tariff @ Pangong Rs.1200).

Leh: Zee Guest House, Upper Changspa, Leh, Ladakh - 194101. (Contact person: Dorjay Angchok) Ph: 09469261374, 09596862205, 09906989175. (Tariff @ Leh Rs.1200)

Pahalgaon: Can’t recall. (Tariff @ Leh Rs.1500)


Food joints worth mentioning where Soumitra and family had their food.
Mughal Darbar, Srinagar.
Hotel Kargil Continental, Kargil.
Hotel Niranjana, Lamayuru.
Himalayan Cafe, Main Market, Leh.
Dolma Restaurant, Diskit.
Hoshiarpuri Bhaaiyaan Da Dhaba, Hoshiarpur.