A Committee of Expert Representatives Should be Formed to Address Pune’s Traffic Issues – Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Mumbai : Pune has established itself as a hub of educational, cultural, commercial, and industrial opportunities. However, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to address the city’s traffic congestion issues during a recent ministry meeting.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawar conducted a detailed review of Pune’s traffic problems, attended by key officials including Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Works Department Manisha Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department Asim Kumar Gupta, Secretary of the Public Works Department Sadashiv Salunkhe, Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, and Pune City Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil. Pune City Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, PMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Yogesh Mhse, and Pune Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner B. Prithviraj joined the meeting via telecommunication. Pune City Traffic Police also presented their findings.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawar noted that the influx of citizens from various parts of the state, driven by employment opportunities in Pune’s expanding industrial sector, has rapidly increased the city’s population. This growth has put significant stress on the city’s infrastructure, leading to severe traffic congestion. Pawar stressed that resolving this issue is a top priority and instructed that various effective measures be implemented.

To address the congestion, initial efforts will focus on low-cost, short-term solutions such as introducing one-way traffic systems, removing roadside encroachments, reducing signal times, implementing signalless traffic management, widening internal roads, and connecting missing links. The Pune Traffic Police are to submit a detailed proposal for these measures. Additionally, the Municipal Corporation is tasked with clearing encroachments at Navale Junction on the Pune-Katraj road, with police support provided by the Pune City Police Commissioner.

Priority actions include addressing traffic congestion at Navale Bridge, Koregaon Park, and ABC Chowk. Funding will be allocated for these initiatives, and the use of artificial intelligence and advanced technology will be explored. Coordination among the Police, Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority is essential. Deputy Chief Minister Pawar recommended establishing a coordination committee comprising expert representatives from these agencies to effectively tackle the issue.