Citizens, activists demand vehicle-free zones throughout the year and across the city

In 2018, the walking plaza concept was implemented for six days in the Aundh area from Rushi Chowk to Parihar Chowk. Subsequently, locals objected and resisted the implementation of the concept on a regular basis

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been shortlisted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Department (MoHUA) for ‘excellence in urban transport’ due to its pedestrianisation of Laxmi Road, one of the busiest roads in Pune city, and its ‘walkability index survey’ endeavour. However, the civic body has drawn the ire of citizens and civic activists over its failure to execute these concepts on a more regular basis as also throughout the city.

Since last year, the PMC has been celebrating ‘World Pedestrian Day’ on December 11 every year by transforming a 500-metre stretch of Laxmi Road from Umbrya Ganpati Chowk to Garud Ganpati Chowk (HT PHOTO)

Since last year, the PMC has been celebrating ‘World Pedestrian Day’ on December 11 every year by transforming a 500-metre stretch of Laxmi Road from Umbrya Ganpati Chowk to Garud Ganpati Chowk into a vehicle-free zone/walking plaza and encouraging pedestrians to walk freely along this stretch. This once-a-year initiative has caught the attention of MoHUA, which has shortlisted the PMC for the ‘excellence in urban transport’ award and the 16th Urban Mobility India Conference-cum-Exhibition to be held in Delhi from October 27 to 29 this year.

However, citizens and activists are now demanding that the PMC implement such initiatives more often and around the city. Prashant Inamdar, convenor of ‘Pedestrian First’, who had originally demanded that Laxmi Road be made vehicle-free, said, “Due to the lack of willpower, this is not happening on a regular basis. If the PMC is implementing it on Pedestrian Day, why not every weekend? Where there is a will, there is a way!”

Nikhil Mijar, traffic planner, PMC, pointed out that shopkeepers are reluctant to have the walking plaza initiative every weekend due to concerns over low business, security, parking arrangements and other such. They are demanding that the concept also be implemented in places other than Laxmi Road, Mijar said.

Sahebrao Dandge, superintendent engineer of the PMC road department, said, “It is true that we have a vehicle-free zone once every year on Pedestrian Day. However, we have not implemented the initiative across the city and on a regular basis as there are no alternate roads to most city roads. Besides, shopkeepers are not keen on having the initiative more regularly. Still, we are working on identifying roads in different parts of the city, alternate traffic diversion arrangements, creating awareness among residents and shopkeepers etc.”

In 2018, the walking plaza concept was implemented for six days in the Aundh area from Rushi Chowk to Parihar Chowk. Subsequently, locals objected and resisted the implementation of the concept on a regular basis.