As a developing nation, India is seeing its share of expressways being developed for faster movement of traffic across cities. Although some may argue that the pace of the construction of expressways in India is very slow as compared to the rising demand of such construction, it can surely be said that in recent times the country has indeed seen a lot of expressways come up. While this makes for very convenient long distance rides, and increases the connectivity of cities in India, it also brings some India-specific problems with it. See, as the expressways are a relatively new development for India, there are some problems that one will only encounter on Indian expressways. While, some of these problems may be trivial, others are quite fatal and needs to keep their eyes peeled for them. Therefore, in this article we list the problems one will face only on Indian expressways.
Tyre Bursts
The inherent nature of lower maintenance and longevity of the concrete roads means that the government is increasingly promoting the use of concrete roads over tarmac in India. However, a major drawback of concrete roads is that it heats up the tyres of the cars plying on it rather quickly. Pair this with the habit of people not paying enough attention to their tyre pressure and condition and we have a situation where there are numerous tyres bursts at high speeds on Indian expressways made of concrete. The Yamuna Expressway connecting Delhi-NCR to Agra in Uttar Pradesh is an infamous example in North India. While the problem can be solved by using nitrogen in tyres, people are not that aware of the solution and nitrogen is also not easily available. Although the government is mulling making nitrogen in tyres mandatory for all cars in India.
Animals
Yes, India has a reputation of stray animals suiting idly on roads inside cities. However, this problem seems to have extended to highways as well. This amplifies the danger of stray animals all the more when it comes to expressways. Although several expressways are blocked by a barricade all along, there are some animals that simply jump over the fence, while at other places the fence itself is not maintained properly. This can lead to dangerous results especially during times when the visibility is low as high speed vehicles and stray animals often lead to bad accidents.
No Lane Driving
How many times have you come across the sign “Lane driving, sane driving” on Indian expressways. That is not just a small rhyme that the expressway authorities like to use, rather it is very vital in the Indian driving context. The lack of driving manners and low awareness regarding driving rules means that a lot of drivers use the left lane for high speed overtaking and also sometimes drive very fast in the left lane on Indian expressways. This can lead to fatal accidents as the left lane is supposed to be the slowest lane on expressways. So the next time you venture out on expressway, follow the lane rules.
Fuel Pumps
No, the fuel pumps are not a problem, rather their lack thereof is a major problem. As we have already stated, Indian expressway network is still in the process of development and this means that the number of fuel pumps on them is still on the lower side. Therefore, the next time you venture out on an expressway, make sure you have adequate fuel for the trip in your tank as getting stranded sans fuel on an expressway with fast moving vehicles in not the ideal road trip scenario.
The Local Problem
Although the expressways provide for auxiliary roads, the local inhabitants often end up using the expressways for small quick getaways. This would have also not been an issue had it not been for the sudden and quick decision by some locals to cross the expressway or even ride at the wrong side of the road. The high speed of oncoming traffic often leads to unpleasant situations and worse even accidents. Therefore, watch out for the local traffic the next time you venture out on the expressway.