E-Paper
Katraj-Kondhwa road reels under constant traffic snarls
Few students had to abandon the autos and a few professionals had to apply for half-day leave as their precious time was lost in the traffic congestion
PUNE School students, working professionals, and other commuters had a harrowing time on Friday as bumper-to-bumper traffic from Khadi Machine Chowk to Gokul Nagar Road Chowk threw normal commuting into disarray.
The students had to abandon the autos and a few professionals had to apply for half-day leave as their precious time was lost in the traffic congestion.
Students walked to school for the exams, while others endured the sweltering summer heat. All that while, civic authorities, including the traffic police and the PMC ward office staffers, stood by as muted spectators.
According to locals, the stretch connecting Kondhwa and Katraj has been experiencing severe traffic problems for the past two weeks, with no immediate action taken by the authorities.
A spot visit revealed that the advertisement boards placed on the road by traders, as well as haphazard parking, incomplete water pipeline and drainage work, and a lack of traffic policemen, were some of the main reasons for the area’s rising congestion.
Commuters claimed on Friday that only one traffic officer was present, and he, too, expressed helplessness at the situation.
An underground tunnel is currently being built on Katraj-Kondhwa Road, with a fifty-foot-deep excavation. Commuters added that construction debris and rubble have also constrained the road’s length.
“The road witnesses the daily flow of a large number of heavy vehicles, which adds to the problems,” commuter Vishwas Amrute said.
“The construction material vehicles should be barred from entering during the day and only allowed in after 10 pm. The school students and working professionals had a difficult time on Friday as a result of mismanagement by the traffic department, as well as the PMC ward office and other concerned departments,” he said.
The traffic department has pinpointed the issue of staff crunch within the department.
“There is a severe shortage of manpower, but we are still doing our best to help the citizens,” said Police Inspector Shelke, Pune traffic division.
“Given the heavy construction activity in the area, traffic is moving at a snail’s pace, making managing traffic a major challenge,” he added.
PMC Anti Encroachment department head for Katraj Kondhwa division Shashikant Tak said, “We will take action against illegal kiosks, hawkers, hoardings and other parked vehicles on the road so that traffic congestion is reduced and will ensure smooth and hassle-free commute for motorists,” he said.
