In the absence of any fresh notification seeking a ban on heavy vehicles entering the city during specific times in the morning and evening, the traffic scenario has gone from bad to worse after the Navratri festival with frequent logjams reported at Wagholi, Viman nagar, Yerawada, Hadapsar, Katraj, Aundh, Pashan, Baner, Kondhwa, Marketyard and other important suburbs of the city. According to the traffic branch, the morning ban is not being implemented since the official notification regarding the ban lapsed on September 30. Currently, the traffic police are implementing only the evening ban.
DCP (traffic), Rahul Srirame, said, “The earlier notification has lapsed and we are in the process of issuing a fresh notification to ban the movement of heavy vehicles through Pune from 7 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm. We are also planning to allow heavy vehicles inside from 10 am to 6 pm. Currently, we are not monitoring and enforcing the ban during the morning session. A number of heavy vehicles carrying essential commodities come to many parts of the city which cannot be stopped.”
Katraj resident Ashish Bhoir said, “Due to the rush of heavy vehicles during the morning hours towards Marketyard and the indiscriminate parking along the roads, commuting has become a tough task. Both the traffic police and the PMC road planning department have shown enormous sluggishness in resolving the issue, and the citizens are paying a heavy price for it.”
Wagholi Housing Society Association director Sanjeev Kumar Patil said, “We need complete monitoring and effective implementation of the ban by the traffic police. Currently, the situation on the ground is a complete mess and all the stakeholders are to be blamed for it. It is causing enormous national loss of time and productivity.”
{{/usCountry}}Wagholi Housing Society Association director Sanjeev Kumar Patil said, “We need complete monitoring and effective implementation of the ban by the traffic police. Currently, the situation on the ground is a complete mess and all the stakeholders are to be blamed for it. It is causing enormous national loss of time and productivity.”
{{/usCountry}}Between September 1 and 30, entry of all types of heavy vehicles on various roads had been banned from 6 pm to 9 pm. These ban orders remained in force till midnight on September 30. Entry of all types of heavy vehicles on Chandni chowk, Kothrud, Katraj and Bhugaon roads on National Highway 4 from Sus road-Khind Pashan road and University chowk had been prohibited. All types of heavy vehicles going from Bhugaon Mulshi road and Dehu road-Kivle to Chandni chowk, Kothrud and Satara road had been banned. Heavy vehicles going from NDA road to Satara side via Chandni chowk had also been banned.