Pune's Katraj-Kondhwa Road: A Daily Nightmare For Commuters

Katraj-Kondhwa Road has become a daily nightmare for commuters, with severe traffic congestion regularly choking the area, particularly at Trimurti Chowk, Jijamata Bridge, Datta Nagar, and Katraj Chowk. The situation has deteriorated due to a combination of pothole-ridden roads, a lack of traffic police presence, illegal parking, and rampant encroachment of footpaths.

Local residents and commuters are frustrated with the worsening traffic conditions. Speaking to The Free Press Journal, many expressed concerns and hoped for a resolution soon.

Atul Jain, a member of the Kondhwa Development Forum (KDF), said, "The traffic situation is horrible on Katraj-Kondhwa Road. Traffic management has become the worst in Pune city. I was stuck for three hours in the traffic. Also, three-four ambulances were stuck in the traffic. No police personnel was seen clearing the traffic and allowing them to go. We are paying huge taxes to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), not for facing such issues. There is absolutely no coordination between traffic police and PMC. Commuters are left to suffer."

Naman Parmar, a resident of Kondhwa, stated "The government should have proper plans and substitute ways to curb the traffic menace. Footpaths have been encroached. This is not just a matter of Katraj-Kondhwa road. The entire city is grappled with such menace. The government should find out proper traffic plans in the city."

Hasan Shaikh, who lives near Bharati Vidyapeeth, added, "We regularly use the Katraj-Kondhwa Road. Over the last few years, the number of accidents has increased. At Katraj Chowk, the flyover construction work is also causing traffic jams. PMPML bus drivers also break the traffic signal and park the buses irregularly, which leads to traffic jams."

Chandu Patil, a resident of Balaji Nagar expressed, "Potholes are the main cause of traffic congestion. PMC is totally corrupt. In the monsoon season, poorly constructed roads exposed the road department's corruption. Public outcry fell on deaf ears."

Meanwhile, this newspaper attempted to contact the traffic police department and the PMC road department but received no response.