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Flyers fume due to traffic congestion on Vishrantwadi-Airport Road stretch; traffic police, PMC step in
The police department has written to the PMC in the last week seeking to widen the Vishrantwadi-Airport Road stretch where traffic is reported
After repeated complaints from commuters and flyers about traffic congestion, the Airport Road traffic division and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will soon start a drive to decongest the arterial routes leading to the airport.
Officials said the traffic jams—worsened during peak hours—are caused by infrastructure bottlenecks, roadside encroachments, and indiscriminate parking by cabs and private vehicles.
The police department has written to the PMC in the last week seeking to widen the Vishrantwadi-Airport Road stretch where traffic is reported.
Ravindra Kadam, a senior police inspector and in charge of the Airport Road traffic division, said, “We have written to the PMC road department seeking urgent widening of the Vishrantwadi-Airport stretch. Roadside plant nurseries have encroached upon the carriageway, choking vehicle movement—especially during peak hours.”
He added that unregulated cab parking and multiple traffic-generating points—residential complexes, a major educational institute, and the recently opened Aero Mall—were compounding the problem on the New Airport Road.
“We removed a traffic circle at a key junction to ease the flow. But long-term relief is only possible with stricter enforcement and coordinated infrastructure upgrades by the PMC,” he said.
The congestion has led to missed flights and public outrage. Flyers have taken to social media to highlight delays and demand immediate action.
Shweta Mandani, a working professional, said she missed a flight to Delhi despite leaving early from Hadapsar. “I was stuck for over 45 minutes on Airport Road. Cabs were parked randomly, and there was barely any space to move. By the time I reached, the boarding gates had closed. This isn’t just frustrating—it affects jobs and commitments. The situation is out of control,” she said.
A senior PMC road department engineer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We’ve surveyed the Vishrantwadi-Airport Road stretch and identified over a dozen plant nurseries and temporary structures encroaching on road space. A demolition drive is scheduled in the coming weeks.”
The official added that plans are in place to widen the road by 3 to 4 metres wherever feasible to ease the bottleneck.
“For the New Airport Road, we’re also working with traffic police to set up designated taxi bays and no-parking zones. The Aero Mall junction is being reviewed for geometric redesign to improve traffic dispersal. These are high-priority projects due to their direct impact on air travellers,” he said.
