E-Paper
City roads become risky due to heavy vehicles, 278 people died in the last year
The fatalities occurred across different parts of the city, with areas such as Pune-Ahemednagar Road, Solapur Road, Katraj, Hadapsar
A total of 278 people lost their lives in 271 road accidents on Pune city roads this year, with two-wheeler riders accounting for the highest number of fatalities, according to the data from the Pune traffic police department.
The fatalities occurred across different parts of the city, with areas such as Pune-Ahemednagar Road, Solapur Road, Katraj, Hadapsar, and the Mumbai-Bengaluru bypass highway emerging as high-risk zones.
Serious accidents are particularly common on the Pune-Solapur Road and Pune-Ahmednagar stretches. The inclusion of areas like Lonikand and Loni Kalbhor under the Pune police commissionerate has brought additional challenges, given the significant volume of daily heavy traffic on these routes.
“There are private companies in Ranjangaon Industrial Estate along Ahmednagar Road, and vehicles travelling to Marathwada region pass through this stretch. The increasing traffic in this area has led to a rise in accidents. Moreover, many housing projects in Wagholi, Lonikand, and Kesanand have attracted employees from private companies who prefer to live here,” said Kedar Manjare, a Wagholi resident and member of the Nagar Road Citizens Association.
Other parts of the city face similar problems. Rutuja Kanade, a resident of Katraj-Kondhwa Road, shared her fears: “Every day, hundreds of heavy vehicles speed down Katraj-Kondhwa Road. Riding a bike on this road is terrifying, especially with children or elderly family members. If these heavy vehicles hit us, there’s little chance of survival. Heavy vehicles should be banned during the daytime.”
The authorities have taken steps to mitigate these risks. “There is heavy daily traffic on Nagar Road, and the Traffic Police have banned heavy vehicles on key city roads during the day to prevent serious accidents. This ban has helped improve traffic flow in these areas,” said Amol Zende, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
Traffic experts said despite these measures, the rising number of fatalities underscores the urgent need for more stringent enforcement and better road safety measures. “For many, Pune’s roads are no longer thoroughfares but veritable death traps,” said Amit Deshmukh, a resident of Navi Peth.
