For a week-end day trip to Delhi or Agra, adopting the Yamuna Expressway (YE) is always preferable because:
1.0> Of course it gives 170 kms uninterrupted wide road passage between Kuberpur (Agra end) till NOIDA. You can drive consistent at around 70-80 Kmph. This saves nearly 2-2.5 hrs time compared to NH-2. From Mathura to Delhi by NH-2 takes 4.5 – 5 hrs in peak time till Ashram. The same is only 2.5-3 hrs through YE.
2.0> YE has opened nice restaurants attached with toilets and sprawling car parkings just crossing the Mathura and Jewar toll plazas. So one can take a much needed break for oneself as well as one’s vehicle, which is very-much essential.
3.0> Till now YE is safe. Much safer than NH-2. And when I say safe, I mean human safety from law-and-order point of view (not from speed and accident point of view). In NH-2, there are repeated jams in Delhi border, Faridabad, Ballabhgarh and repeated check-posts of police and sales tax at Hodal, Kosi. Frequent police harassments are there in Faridabad as well. But in YE, till now, till date, no such disturbances.
4.0> YE is picturesque (see the attached photographs). The refresehing view of UP countryside, the beautiful sunsets, the myriad coloration of UP rural-side (mustard yellow fields mixing with lush green in blue horizon) has it’s own pleasure.
5.0> YE has constant patrol teams from it’s caretaker organization whose staff approaches everyone who are in trouble on the highway and help them out. And yes I have seen them doing this in night as well.
6.0> Toll fee (one way from Mathura till NOIDA) : Rs 220/-; both-way : Rs 350/-. Once taken from one plaza, need not take again, just show it in the 2nd plaza. From Mathura, there are two plazas : one around 11 kms away from Mathura, 2nd one at Jewar, near Tappal, crossing Palwal.
7.0> Sometimes you may see wild animals (nothing more than a Nilgai) on the road. I sighted one at 11 pm in night in the middle of the road midway between Jewar and Mathura.
Now the cons:
1.0> YE is absolutely safe till you drive under control. Being an unhindered expressway, drivers overspeed, looses control, resulting in accidents. YE as a road has nothing wrong in it, people need to control their optimum speed around 70-80 Kmph. Nothing will happen and no time gets lost. You gain no time, only loose some of your precious ones on overspeeding.
2.0> For day-travellers to Agra, remember, the restaurant near the Agra-side toll plaza is yet to open (at least till Mid Dec’12 when I last travelled). Hence you won’t get to eat those piping hot shamoshas and tea once you cross Mathura toll gate.
3.0> Avoid this way for Delhi/Agra day-trip in foggy weather (i.e. morning till 11 am in Mid Dec-Mid Jan and night after say 7 pm). So finish your trip before that.
4.0> Do remember – for Agra-visitors, you have to travel a good around 12 kms from Agra via NH-2 till Kuberpur to catch the YE. For Mathura/Vrindavan visitors, catching the highway from Tank or Cantt crossing via Aligarh route (Raya) is itself a project. In both the cases, it’ll take an extra 1 hr. Hence, kindly add that extra 1 hr cushion to your YE travel time.
5.0> Last, for the ones who drive. Never fell asleep/doze off while driving. This highway tempts drivers to fall asleep on wheels. Especially in early morning (not in night when the sharp lights from vehicles coming opposte-way piercing the darkness will jolt you awake). That’s why it’s essential to have those two breaks, have coffee/tea and hot shamosha and then resume journey.
6.0> Check your tyre pressure including that of the spare one, fill up your fuel tank (for petrol vehicles : at least 15 litres to be on safe side). Till date, no mechanic shop on highway, no petrol pump. However, near the Palwal side-cut, you can go down from the YE and within 500 meters, you’ll have an IOCL petrol pump. So you can fill up and come back to YE. But you need fuel to move up to that point. YE patrol team does help in changing tyre, but your spare tyre should be in good shape.
7.0> Take enough bottles of water and some munching. After all – on Agra side once you cross Mathura toll gate, there’s no one to entertain you till you reach Agra.
Take some photos also. This road is nice for Delhi/Agra day-trips. I have already travelled (up-down) around 12 times and have always driven-self. I have no complains so far.
