The state assembly elections are round the corner, and with two alliances in the state, the political commentary and war of words are underway. Amidst this, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to sound the poll bugle with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Pune on September 26, where he will present the development agenda of the party along with the inauguration of various works in the city, including a metro station.
He is likely to showcase the Pune model to the people of the state, claiming that the city has benefited from infrastructure projects like Pune Metro's various routes and the new airport terminal at Pune Airport.
City's Potholes, Traffic Jams, and Flooded Roads Paint an Ironic Picture
However, although the city has indeed benefitted from these projects, it is currently struggling with pothole-ridden roads, waterlogging, traffic congestion, and the poor condition of civic buses, with over 50 buses breaking down every day. The potholes in Pune became a national-level embarrassment when President Droupadi Murmu wrote to Pune Police complaining about them. Even before this, Punekars and Bollywood director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri had posted videos and pictures of the pothole-ridden roads in the city.
PMPML's rising breakdown
Recently, data shared by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) indicates a significant rise in bus breakdowns on Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad roads from January to August this year, according to official figures shared by PMPML authorities. While PMPML buses maintained a relatively stable range of 500 to 600 breakdowns per month, leased buses experienced a sharp increase, jumping from 1,372 in January to 2,713 in August. In August alone, PMPML reported 561 breakdowns (averaging 18 per day), whereas leased buses accounted for 2,152 breakdowns (averaging 69 per day).
Traffic menace
The traffic menace in the city is also well known; Punekars frequently take to social media to flag the issue, especially at Chandni Chowk and Ganesh Khind Road.
Additionally, ahead of PM Modi's visit, the venue of his meeting was severely waterlogged, highlighting the drainage failure in the city after just 20 minutes of rain. The surrounding roads were also severely waterlogged, making it difficult for two-wheeler riders to navigate.
