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PMC to remove BRTS corridor to ease Vishrantwadi–Alandi road traffic
Removing the dedicated BRTS lane will increase the effective road width, improve vehicular speed, and help save both fuel and travel time, officials said.
Pune: In a move aimed at easing traffic congestion on the busy Vishrantwadi–Alandi Road stretch, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to remove the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor between Sathe Biscuit Chowk and Chandrama Hotel (Deccan College Chowk) on Alandi Road. On April 20, Senior officials from the road department, including superintendent engineer Ashish Jadhav and executive engineer Sanjay Dharav, inspected the site to check if the move is feasible.
Removing the dedicated BRTS lane will increase the effective road width, improve vehicular speed, and help save both fuel and travel time, they said.
Ashish Jadhav, superintendent engineer of the road department, said, “As per the demand of standing committee members, we conducted a joint inspection of the BRTS stretch between Sathe Biscuit Chowk (Vishrantwadi) and Chandrama Hotel (Deccan College Chowk). Concerns were raised about frequent accidents and traffic congestion due to the BRTS lane. We will now prepare a report and submit it to higher authorities for a final decision.”
Former MLA Sunil Tingre and corporator Suhas Tingre had earlier demanded the removal of the BRTS corridor, citing persistent congestion and inconvenience to motorists.
Suhas said, “The BRTS corridor has become a major cause of traffic congestion and accidents on the stretch, causing daily inconvenience to residents and commuters. We have consistently demanded its removal, and the administration should take an early decision to dismantle it completely and provide relief to citizens. With flyover work underway at both ends, there is no need for a BRTS corridor on Alandi Road.”
A senior road department official said, “Currently, the BRTS stretch from Sangamwadi Bridge to Bindumadhav Thackeray Chowk and further up to Chandrama Hotel and Sathe Biscuit Chowk is operational. The stretch from Sangamwadi Bridge to Bindumadhav Thackeray Chowk is around 550 metres, while the section from Bindumadhav Thackeray Chowk to Deccan College Chowk is about 1.5 km. However, flyover work is ongoing at both ends of the corridor, including at Bindumadhav Thackeray Chowk and Sathe Biscuit Chowk. Parts of the BRTS near Sathe Biscuit Chowk have already been dismantled. The administration will take a final decision on removing the remaining stretch based on demands from local corporators and residents.”
The development comes amid a broader rollback of BRTS infrastructure along the Ahmednagar Road corridor. Portions of the BRT lane on Ahmednagar Road have already been removed in the last two years due to poor utilisation, safety concerns, and frequent traffic snarls.
