Thanks to Sujit for sending those comments from others in India.  The New York Times Series by Amy Waldman came to my mind too.  But it was definitely a far more balanced 4-part series that captured many of the issues people raised against the Guardian article.  I have them saved up (unfortunately they are only available on TimesSelect now) but am not sure if there's a way to send attachments to the list.  I could cut and paste them if required. BTW, I'm surprised that the Guardian article doesn't mention one big change likely to happen in the next couple of years--the development of The Tata Group's "one-lakh rupee car" (that's about $2200)!  The car that's supposed to change the way the middle class travels in India and get them out of those lowly two-wheelers.  I've pasted a small excerpt from Ratan Tata's interview with the McKinsey Quarterly.  But given the fact that he is the Chairman of the Government of India's (autonomous) Investment Commission and his old established business group has the one-lakh rupee car as their main goal in the near future, is it a surprise that the highway projects are the country's priority??  And not rail?  The Tata group is known to be one of India's biggest and smartest business comglomerates--quite respected too I would add, so the PR also is not a surprise. "The Quarterly: Turning to your plans for the Indian market, the most intriguing is perhaps the development of a people's car that would sell for 100,000 rupees.<a name="foot2up"></a><a title="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.aspx?ar=1688&L2=21&L3=114#foot2" href="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.aspx?ar=1688&L2=21&L3=114#foot2"> </a> What's the thinking behind it? Ratan Tata: It is propelled by the opportunity, but there is also a social or dreamy side to it. Today in India, you often see four people on a scooter: a man driving, his little kid in front, and his wife on the back holding a baby between them. It's a dangerous form of transportation, and it leads to accidents and hospitalizations and deaths. If we can make something available on four wheels—all-weather and safe—then I think we will have done something for that mass of young Indians. If you could position an all-weather car that was not a glorified scooter or a stripped-down car, then I believe there would be a market potential of one million cars a year."One million cars a year!  And Tata's doing his little bit to make sure that it's smooth sailing when they hit the road. Best, Anjali <a name="_MailAutoSig">-------------------------</a> Anjali Mahendra Doctoral candidate Regional Economics and Transportation Policy Department of Urban Studies and Planning MIT   Office: Room 24-423 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02139-4307 ---------------------------------------------------------- Message: 11 Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 16:13:58 -0400 From: "Lee Schipper" <<a title="mailto:SCHIPPER@wri.org" href="mailto:SCHIPPER@wri.org">SCHIPPER@wri.org</a>> Subject: [sustran] Re: "India is on the road to a transport     revolution" To: "SUSTRAN Asia and Pacific Sustainable Transport"     <<a title="mailto:sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org" href="mailto:sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org">sustran-discuss@list.jca.apc.org</a>>, <<a title="mailto:sujit@vsnl.com" href="mailto:sujit@vsnl.com">sujit@vsnl.com</a> > Cc: Eric Britton <<a title="mailto:fekbritton@gmail.com" href="mailto:fekbritton@gmail.com">fekbritton@gmail.com</a>>, <a title="mailto:S.Norton@dpmms.cam.ac.uk" href="mailto:S.Norton@dpmms.cam.ac.uk"> S.Norton@dpmms.cam.ac.uk</a> Message-ID: <<a title="mailto:s45a2853.040@hermes.wri.org" href="mailto:s45a2853.040@hermes.wri.org"> s45a2853.040@hermes.wri.org</a>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I will try to dig out a similar (series) from the New York Times several months back Someone in Indian road building has a good PR Agent.