BRTS razed, Ahmednagar Road still sees traffic snarls

With regular bottlenecks and lengthy queues of vehicles at multiple points along the route, commuters have now urged authorities to address encroachments and implement road-widening measures near junctions

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) action to dismantle the Pune-Ahmednagar Road BRTS (bus rapid transit system) stretch to address traffic congestion on the Yerawada to Vimannagar route seemed to have failed its purpose.

With regular bottlenecks and lengthy queues of vehicles at multiple points along the route, commuters have now urged authorities to address encroachments and implement road-widening measures near junctions. (SHANKAR NARAYAN/ HT PHOTO)

With regular bottlenecks and lengthy queues of vehicles at multiple points along the route, commuters have now urged authorities to address encroachments and implement road-widening measures near junctions.

Residents have reported delays at key intersections such as Shastrinagar, Ramwadi Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Chowk and Vimannagar Phoenix Mall.

While the BRTS on Pune-Ahmednagar Road from Yerawada to Sai Satyam (old PMC limits) helped streamline vehicular movement, Pune metro works disrupted the bus facility from Yerawada to Vimannagar Chowk (Phoenix Mall) leaving the dedicated stretch non-functional for more than two years. Later, it was dismantled.

Washim Sayyad of Ramwadi said, “PMC removed BRTS, but traffic problem remains on Ahmednagar Road. The administration should initiate road-widening works at the earliest.”

Advocate Satish Mane of Wadgaonsheri said, “While Ahmednagar Road is a wide highway, there is bottleneck at Yerawada junction (Gunjan Chowk), Shastri Nagar Chowk, Wadgaonsheri Chowk and Vimannagar Chowk.”

Sharad Dharav, executive engineer, PMC road department, said, “We are inspecting the bottleneck spots on Ahmednagar Road and have taken up Shastrinagar Chowk first. Soon, we will clear encroachments and widen roads at the remaining areas.”