DRIVOBLOG® also intends to explore and capture the rural and urban transformation that India is undergoing and understand the macro & micro consequences it has had on local people and economy. The Pictures in DRIVOBLOG® endeavors to depict - aspects of the in-car experience, marvel of existing Infrastructure and of course the imperfections and incompletenesses.
Indian Roads will remain unpredictable as long as we are living. They are broken, washed-off, water-logged, pot-holed, unfinished and even absent! Swerving cattle, dogs, jaywalkers and erring motorists are as much a challenge as avoiding crashing on to un-illuminated medians or doing a belly smash over unpainted speed breakers. India-worthy Vehicles, whether Hatchbacks, Sedans or SUVS, need not only to be able to hobble on such surfaces but also be able to endure hours of congestion idling and cruise safely on expressways at the same time.
It’s a dual irony. As much as the ‘Authorities’ ignores road infrastructure and takes us commuters for granted, so do we take poor roads for granted and cannot influence them. We may be ‘communicative’ but really don’t have much a role to play as there are very ‘less’ of us to ‘make a point’ strong enough to the ‘Authorities’.
It can take more or less INR 10 Million to build a kilometer of 2 lane – Dual Carriageway Road and the dilemma is that our economy just does not have the potency to do enough budgetary allocation for those things at the Federal & State Levels.
Yes, NHAI has truly transformed Indian Roadscapes, but developments are half-baked due to either un-preparedness, overwhelming administration or governance failure, whatever you may call it. The realization is - India is still underdeveloped (and will remain so throughout our lifetimes, going by what pace we trod on).
And contrary to popular belief that “Driving on Indian Highways is risky”, one should observe vehicles (private vehicles especially) on the highways. They are moving with family and what not. They drive in the darkest nights and the drivers are agile overtakers as they know the road stretches well.
True, their trips may be shorter, but as their drivers are mostly well experienced, they hence are able to take calculated risks. Just combine the capabilities of such random vehicles travelling at various coordinates along your route in your long haul trip, and you know what I mean.
