The Lonesome Road

The helmet rule has finally been implemented in Pune. The “valiant crusaders” tried their best to extend the date that the Supreme Court had proposed, but to no avail. The agitation has not stopped though - there are lawyers who say they will fight cases for people caught by the cops - free of charge and politicians who encourage people not to pay fines and take a court order. In between all this you have the local Pune dude/dudette who isn’t really bothered about the rule and chooses to wear/not wear a helmet based on his/her mood. A look reveals that only 30-40% of the drivers are following the helmet rule. Also, though the rule states that both - the driver and the pillion rider must be wearing helmets, the cops (wisely) have only been stopping those vehicles where the driver is breaking the rule.

However, in the early parts of the month, Pune was lashed by heavy rains. This for the most part dissolves the material used in road construction and creates a slew of potholes on the roads. They can range in depth from a few centimeteres to a few feet.

Secondly, due to the rains, a lot of flooding took place on the city roads. This coupled with the fact that the lights usually go off when the rain pours caused the city roads to become highly unsafe. A gentleman died when he was thrown clear off his scooter after the front wheel locked when it struck a pothole.

I wear a helmet when I drive - it’s personal choice. The thing is, when you drive over the potholed roads, it jerks your head around. When this jerk is coupled with the additional weight of the helmet can lead to a lot of neck strain.

Also, the method of filling roads in this city defies explanation. A group of road workers will come and pour the tar/stone mixture into the pothole and then a roller will flatten it out - but not fully. So on the road, there are varying levels of strata. The roads are not smooth and the transitions are not good for you or the vehicle that you drive.

Anyway, that’s my rant for the day. Later all!