3 weeks Ago
1 2 3 Pune: The Pune traffic department's efforts to provide signal-free travel from Gunjan Chowk to Wagholi, and in the opposite direction on the Pune-Ahilyanagar Road, have proved highly ineffective. Commuters continue to experience long queues stretching 4-5km during peak hours. Vehicles took around 30 minutes to a 5km stretch.
Residents living in the areas along the road stated the traffic situation is dire even in the afternoon. They said the primary reason for the traffic snarls was the presence of heavy vehicles on the road during the daytime despite restrictions. According to the traffic department, daily 2 lakh vehicles ply on this road.
The department closed all signals from Gunjan Chowk to Kharadi to improve speed and effected U-turns, but were unable to solve the traffic jam issue. Kailas Shivdas, a daily commuter on the road, said, "It is a nightmare to travel on Nagar Road. People dread to take this route.
The administration has been unable to resolve the traffic issue." Another commuter and resident of Vimannagar, Surabhi Date, said, "The traffic department imposed U-turns at strategic locations on Nagar Road, hoping that the traffic would ease out, but within two weeks, the results were evident due to the chaos on the route. Yet, the traffic department has decided to go ahead with their failed plan, and the situation has become worse.
" The 9-km stretch from Gunjan Chowk to Kharadi has four U-turns. All the major junctions on this route have been blocked, and commuters have to take U-turns to get to the opposite side of the road. The changes created a hue and cry among residents and daily commuters because of the sudden confusion it caused.
The traffic department also claimed that the commute on this route sped up by 15-19 minutes. Shekhar Das, another commuter who travels daily from Kalyaninagar to Kesnand in Wagholi, said the major problem is the number of heavy vehicles plying on the road, especially towards Kharadi. "They occupy major carriageways and also drive dangerously.
This needs to be fixed immediately," Das said. Meanwhile, traffic police inspector Mahesh Bolkotgi said, "Sometimes, there is a pile-up at some spots when the flow is heavy, but the traffic seems normal for most of the day. Also, we have deputed traffic personnel at all junctions to streamline traffic.
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