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PMC engineers told to inspect roads on two-wheelers, focus on ‘riding quality’
The circular issued on Tuesday directs engineers to inspect roads and footpaths where construction, maintenance or resurfacing work is underway
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The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) road department has directed its engineers to leave their four-wheelers behind and inspect roads on two-wheelers, focusing on road safety and ‘riding quality’.
PMC city engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar issued the directive to junior engineers, executive engineers and other technical staff across Zones 1 to 5. They must conduct inspections daily from 9:45 am to 11:45 am.
The circular issued on Tuesday directs engineers to inspect roads and footpaths where construction, maintenance or resurfacing work is underway. They must check road surfaces, footpaths, junctions, water and sewage chambers, potholes, dividers, encroachments and other defects.
A key part of the circular is its emphasis on ‘Road Riding Quality’, the condition people experience while travelling on the road. Pawaskar directed officials to assess traffic safety on existing roads and footpaths and report the measures required to improve them.
It also asks officials to assess the safety of existing roads and footpaths and suggest measures to improve their ‘Road Riding Quality’ — the condition experienced by people travelling on them.
Pune’s road conditions and potholes have emerged as a major public concern during the monsoon, prompting the civic body to step up repairs and monitoring.
Pawaskar said, “During the inspection, a report should be submitted to the department head regarding the safety of traffic on existing roads/footpaths, road riding quality and the suggested measures to be taken in this regard.”
Officials said the emphasis on riding quality goes beyond pothole filling and patchwork, requiring engineers to identify uneven surfaces, poor road levels, unsafe edges and other defects affecting motorists and pedestrians.
The inspections have been made mandatory with immediate effect. Failure to comply could invite action under the applicable rules, the order stated.
According to civic officials, the emphasis on Road Riding Quality is significant because simply filling potholes or carrying out patchwork may not address uneven surfaces, poor road levels, unsafe edges and other defects that affect the overall riding experience.
