Despite paying a hefty toll at the various toll nakas to exit and enter the city, all motorists get are pot-holed roads, no street lights and a virtual death trap at night

This is part of MiD DAY's month-long audit of experiences of travelling in and out of the city, where we take up people's issues and place them before the authorities to address.
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Though motorists pay a substantial amount as toll to use the national highways connecting the city to the rest of the nation, all they get in return are pot-holed roads, bad street lights, lack of lane demarcation and a pretty bumpy ride that will land the driver in the hospital and the vehicle in the garage both seeking a major makeover.



MiD DAY had carried out a series of campaigns across major National Highways and found that the roads did complete justice to the campaign, Highway to Hell.

MiD DAY revisited these spots and here is what we found:

NH 8
(Mumbai-Ahmedabad)
If we talk about the prestigious NH 8, which connects Mumbai to Ahmedabad the road is still in pretty bad shape. Gigantic potholes and missing dividers continue to greet motorists on the route. The bumpy ride commences right after crossing the Dahisar tollnaka, and continues through Kashimira all the way up to Silvasa. To add to that the number of accidents and casualties have also been on the rise. The condition of roads near Ghodbundar toll naka painted a grim picture as well.
Commuter speak
We pay hefty amount as toll charges, but who cares about the motorists? There are no proper dividers on the road, and it is very risky to drive at night. Also, the potholes on this road are a major issue but have never been addressed by the authorities.
Sandeep Sharma, a Mira Road-based transport manager