BRO Signboards that make you smile

— Photo: PTI

SIGN OF THE TIMES: A signboard erected recently by the Border Roads Organisation along the Leh-Manali national highway.
Leh: ‘I am curve[a]ceous, Be slow!'
This is one of the many messages put on signboards along the Leh-Manali national highway here to guide drivers about narrow turns and traffic rules.
This innovation of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a nodal agency under the Government of India involved in construction and maintenance of crucial road infrastructure for the armed forces in inhospitable and far-flung border areas, has caught the fancy of tourists.
“It is interesting to find such funny boards on roads. These signboards convey serious messages. I really like the idea,” says Christopher, a tourist.
‘Love thy neighbour but not while driving,' reads another one.
Roads maintained by BRO are full of such signboards.
For 29-year-old software professional Aniket, who had come to Leh from Ahmedabad on a motorbike, these signboards are rejuvenating after a tiring stint.
“I have come to Leh a number of times. Every time I see these boards, I forget all my worries and laugh freely. These are indeed an innovative approach to teach people about traffic and roads rules,” he said.
‘This is a highway not a runway,' warns another signboard, asking people to drive slowly.
These boards are visible from a distance of about 200 metres and words are written in large fonts for the convenience of the drivers.
“I am going to suggest officials in my country follow this. How do you people get such ideas?” said a Canadian national, Maya Taylor.
The BRO has been receiving plaudits from people and authorities here for its initiative.
“We have tried to make it innovative so that people feel like reading and following it. We keep thinking of such new messages to teach people about traffic rules and driving,” a BRO official said.
‘Your hurry may be a cause of worry to your family,' says another signboard.
“I wish these kind of signboards are erected by other State authorities too. After all, gone are the days of serious messages. The government needs to change its attitude,” said Raksha, who had come here from Mumbai.
Some of the signboards, which were damaged in a cloudburst on the intervening night of August 5-6 last year, are being revamped by the BRO. Over 250 people had died and 1,400 households were affected in the natural calamity. — PTI
Signboards that make you smile

Elderly fume over proposed licence norms

NO LICENCE TO DRIVE: Many elderly feel taking away their right to drive is akin to killing their independence

BARRING ELDERLY TO DRIVE
The motorcycles zipping along, cutting across the lanes, indifferent to their own and others safety are not driven by the elderly, the speeding cars jumping the dividers and hitting the on coming traffic are also not driven by the elderly. The drunk drivers speeding their BMW’s and Merck, late in the night, and overrunning the poor homeless sleeping on the foot paths are also not elderly. Also those driving on the e-ways, over-speeding, on the foggy mornings and hitting the stationary trucks, dumpers regularly are also not elderly. The infamous Blue line Buses of Delhi were also not driven by elderly.
Then why select the elderly to debar driving, has any survey of the accidents attributed to the elderly, age wise statically resulted in this conclusion.
For the sake of elderly, do not deny their mobility, most of us living alone with children having flown the nest, mobility so necessary in case of a medical or other emergency.
We, those who are medically fit to drive are more cautious, drive at the speed of the traffic and in lanes, do not unnecessarily over-take and let the brash overtake us at their whims and fancy.
Brig Lakshman Singh (Retd)
TOI article
Elderly fume over proposed licence norms:
Say Plan To Keep Those Above 72 Years Out Of The Drivers Seat Is Arbitrary, Prefer Tests

A Highway through A Building- Japanese are unstoppable

Look at the commitment of the builders of this building!! Truly amazing.
Gate Tower Building is a 16-story office building in Fukushima-ku, Osaka , Japan. And what makes it notable is the highway that passes through the 5th-7th floors of this building.

The highway is part of the Hanshin Expressway, a network (239.3 km) of expressways surrounding Osaka , Kobe and Kyoto , Japan. The Gate Tower Building is Japan 's first building to have a highway pass through it. And it had been nicknamed "beehive" referring to its appearance as a "bustling place".

The Umeda Exit of the Ikeda Route of the Hanshin Expressway system passes through this building. The expressway is the tenant of these floors.

The elevator doesn't stop on floor 5th-7th, floor 4 being followed by floor 8. These floors consist of elevators, stairways, machinery

The highway passes through the building as a bridge, held up by supports next to the building making no contact with the building itself.

The building has a double core construction, with a circular cross section and special care is taken by providing surrounding structure to the highway to protect the building from noise and vibration.

Generally expressways are built underground, and passing through a building is an extremely rare occasion. It dates back to 1983, when the redevelopment of this area was decided upon, "building permits were refused because the highway was already being planned to be built over this land. The property rights' holders refused to give up, and negotiated with the Hanshin Expressway corporation for approximately 5 years to reach the current solution."
A Highway through A Building!!!- Japanese are unstoppable

Eye Opener
Do our Politicians and Bureaucrats have any such vision for the Indian Metropolitan Cities buckling and crumbling/ crumpling under traffic and massive building pressure? Rightly Dr Manmohan Singh has highlighted that corruption is eating away our economy and infrastructural growth. Leave alone highways even potholes are not filled and highways resemble cart tracks in most regions. Citizen's need to continue dreaming to fulfill and realize their wishes.