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Bavdhan residents take to streets in ‘freedom from jams’ drive
The drive kicked off on August 12 with 40 volunteers managing traffic and also creating awareness from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
Members of the Bavdhan Citizens’ Forum, have begun a week-long drive, Freedom from Jams Weeek- #Safe Bavdhan, to bring about an awareness and change in their area’s chaotic traffic patterns.
The drive kicked off on August 12 with 40 volunteers managing traffic and also creating awareness from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Bavdhan serves as an entry point into the city from Mumbai and Hinjewadi after Baner and Aundh and witnesses chaotic traffic during the evening rush hour.
RK Padmanabhan, PCMC police chief said that the initiative was most welcome. “We do need such public participation. Just as an additive help, but also from the perspective of understanding the problems in enforcement,” he said.
“We want freedom from jams and we shall have it, is our motto and we plan to make sure that planned traffic control works and we have been doing that for the past one month. We are aware that there is shortage of manpower at the Hinjewadi police station (traffic) and we are working on a plan to help the police to help manage the traffic better,” said Prasad Shirgaonkar, a resident Bavdhan.
“The traffic action group believes that this can happen in three ways- proper planning, implementation and awareness. The group also has volunteers who are experts in town planning. They have decided to help the administration solve traffic chaos and spread awareness about parking and other road safety issues like use of helmets,” said Prabhu, a resident of Bavdhan.
“The drive will conclude on August 18, with a walk from Chandani chowk to Ramnagar colony covering the entire Bavdhan area to spread awareness about disciplined parking,” added Shirganonkar.
“People usually drive into Bavdhan lanes to avoid traffic on the highway. This leads to massive vehicular movement in small lanes and then, the main Pashan-NDA road also gets choked. Map assistance adds to the chaos by suggesting these bylanes in Bavdhan,” said Dushyant Bhatia, a resident and volunteer of the Bavdhan Citizens’ Forum.
Adding to this traffic onslaught is the double and haphazard parking. The latest addition is of food trucks, which are parked randomly on the streets.
“We have made several attempts to contact the traffic police officials, but haven’t got any concrete response nor has the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) done anything to help us,” said Bhatia.
“We are looking at creating a partnership between residents and the authorities,” said Deepa Prabhu, volunteer and resident of Bavdhan.
