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VIP movement sparks massive traffic jams near Pune Airport, citizens vent frustration
The situation worsened this time around during chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s visit to Pune city on Wednesday, according to residents and office-goers.
PUNE: Chaos gripped parts of Lohegaon, Viman Nagar, and the adjoining localities Wednesday evening as traffic ground to a halt for hours due to VIP movement towards Pune airport, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded in the heavy rain. While barricading roads and stopping the common public’s vehicles to let VIP vehicles pass first has become a common occurrence for those heading to and from Pune airport, the situation worsened this time around during chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis’s visit to Pune city on Wednesday, according to residents and office-goers. Major roads leading to the airport, including 509 Chowk Road, Lohegaon Road, and stretches connecting Viman Nagar witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic jams lasting up to two hours and beyond. Punekars expressed sharp resentment at what they called an unfair burden of VIP convoys on the public.
Abhimanyu Kulkarni, a commuter stuck in traffic, said, “It takes the CM just 30 minutes to reach Pune airport from the university while a common citizen struggles for nearly two hours in peak traffic. Such is the sad state of affairs. Nothing changes and sadly, we’ve stopped expecting it to.”
Another commuter, Aniket W, who was caught in traffic at 509 Chowk, voiced his frustration saying, “I was stuck in traffic for over 15 minutes just because some VIP was passing from Pune airport. Thousands of us were left stranded on the road for one person’s convoy. This VIP culture in India is pathetic and absolutely infuriating. We’re not citizens, we’re hostages.”
Pune-based professional Sachin Inamdar added to the chorus as he posted on social media, “Just landed at Pune airport. At least 50 cars waiting as part of the convoy. Avoid areas around the airport.”
Residents pointed out that VIP movements worsen an already fragile traffic situation. Robin Sunny, a Viman Nagar resident, said, “Airport Road needs attention as daily jams and narrow roads are creating big traffic snarls every day. The absence of traffic wardens makes the situation worse during peak hours, especially when heavy vehicles like dumpers are allowed on this stretch.”
A senior traffic police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that VIP movements place an unavoidable strain on the city traffic but stressed that efforts are made to minimise disruptions. “We understand the public’s frustration. Convoy movements require road clearance for security reasons, and this does create bottlenecks, particularly around sensitive areas like Pune airport. However, we are reviewing ways to improve traffic diversions, deploy more personnel during such times, and ensure that blockages do not last longer than necessary,” the official said.
