Journalism of Courage
Although grade separators have proved successful in bringing down the huge congestion at Sancheti Square in Pimpri Chinchwad to some extent,traffic police warn that such measures are far from being permanent solutions.
Without a holistic traffic flow study and proper arrangements for pedestrians,the short-term solutions will only create more problems in the long run and bring the problem back to square one,they warned.
Traffic cops,however,agree that as a short-term measure,a series of grade separators built on the old Pune-Mumbai Highway in PCMC area has really worked well.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) Vishwas Pandhare,said,In PCMC,the design of grade separators has made arrangements for all kinds of traffic,local short-distance traffic,long-distance highway traffic that uses the channel of the separator,and heavy vehicles. Even the grade separator at Sancheti Hospital square has helped in smoothening traffic flow by removing the signal. We must always keep in mind that no bridge,flyover or grade-separator can be a permanent solution. And the flow will not reduce without a good public transport system. Having said that,these installations must be constructed after a holistic traffic flow study.
Pandhare further said traffic at a particular junction is the result of inflow from many points. So if the new grade separator releases a specific flow,the following junction should have the capacity to bear the extra load. We think that every time PMC works on such projects,inputs must be taken from traffic police. Our observations of flow dynamics must be taken into consideration. Otherwise these solutions will prove to be of no use after some time. If grade separators are being planned for areas like Baner,a feasibility and a flow dynamics study are a must.
An officer with Deccan traffic division said,The underground channel of the grade separator at Sancheti Hospital square carries just 30 per cent of the flow. At the same time pedestrians,who are unfortunately always ignored,have to wait for a long to cross the road. From the beginning,we have been saying that a grade separator should have constructed at Simla Office Square,too.
Inspector Neelam Jadhav of Deccan Traffic division said,We feel that the channel grade separator should be used for the largest flow. We also have take a lot of care of pedestrians. During the day,engineering college students and schoolcildren use this junction.
