PMC Identifies 38 Hotspots Where Electric Poles Are Traffic Obstacles

Decision Aimed at Reducing Traffic Snarls as Number of Private Vehicles in City Surpassing 5 Million

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has proposed reducing parking spaces on 32 major roads across the city to ease growing traffic congestion. The civic body has also suggested strict action against private buses and the introduction of a 'No Vehicle Day' in government offices and large companies. However, the civic administration has simultaneously made it clear that traffic management cannot be the responsibility of the municipal corporation alone and that the police department, too, must shoulder its share of the burden.

A senior official from the PMC road department said that the civic body has already acted on many suggestions made by the Pune traffic police last year to reduce congestion on key roads. "We raised all the important points to solve traffic problems on major roads identified by the traffic police. On Nagar Road, Solapur Road, Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar and Koregaon Park, the traffic police have already implemented diversions. They have also asked us to remove encroachments, widen roads and junctions, and repair footpaths. Some areas are seeing positive results, and vehicle speed has improved," the official said.

Furthermore, a letter has been drafted and sent to the PMC commissioner for approval, the official said. "In the letter, we have made several suggestions to the traffic police, especially about reducing parking spaces on 32 major roads to ease traffic. However, it is important to note that the traffic police are responsible for marking roadside parking spaces like P1 and P2 zones," the official said.