Pune voters want candidates to prioritise road infra, traffic laws enforcement

Wakad resident and mechanical engineer Rahul Kolekar said, “Daily commute to work is no less than a battle. The traffic jams during the rainy season have made Pune Monsoons a nightmare. What is worse is the situation has only gotten worse with little hope of improvement. I hope that our candidates make this their top priority and deliver on the pre-election promises later.”

It has been observed that despite Pune’s growth, investments in road infrastructure have remained staggered, resulting in patchwork of poorly maintained roads and insufficient public transport options. As the number of vehicles continue to grow at very high rates, the existing road network is unable to accommodate the volume, making traffic jams a norm. “It is very important that all elected representatives come together and work towards improving the traffic conditions. Very few from the previous assembly have paid attention to the issue,” said Pradnya Kamble, a resident of Kharadi.

“There is no doubt that police can do a lot more on the enforcement front. But the manpower allocated to the traffic control branch has always been inadequate and these personnel hardly receive adequate training for it. It is very important that various agencies, including civic bodies, infrastructure entities, public transport bodies, come together more often to resolve existing operation issues and plan better,” said a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, who has served in the traffic control branch.

“Pune Metro has certainly brought hope of better days. But it is very important that better bus services are also provided. The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal bears the maximum burden of public transport, but the overall health and strength of its fleet has to improve for Pune to become a liveable city for everyone,” said Ashish M, a civil engineer from Bibwewadi.