The stretch outside Pune Airport has turned into a daily nightmare for commuters, with traffic jams becoming a regular issue. The absence of traffic signals and a shortage of traffic police personnel have led to complete disorder at the junction.
From Air Force Station Chowk to 509 Chowk, long queues of vehicles are seen every morning and evening. The traffic jam leads to delays, which creates unnecessary stress for both passengers rushing to catch flights and residents living nearby.
“The situation is unbearable. Every day there’s chaos, honking and confusion. We hardly see any traffic cops managing the mess,” said Rohit Deshmukh, a resident of the Viman Nagar area.
Residents have also complained about poor road conditions and waterlogging near the junctions, which further worsens the situation. “When it rains, the area turns chaotic. Vehicles move at a snail’s pace, and there are no visible traffic personnel to manage the flow. Authorities must deploy more police for regulation, not just to issue challans," said a commuter, Sneha Patil.
Residents are also demanding road widening measures and better traffic management systems. “The road is too narrow for the growing number of vehicles. The government should plan a proper expansion and install working traffic signals,” demanded Colonel (Retired) Abhijeet Kulkarni, a senior citizen living nearby.
The residents claimed that the traffic congestion often leads to missed flights and unnecessary stress. They urged the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Traffic Department to coordinate and implement a long-term solution.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal, Deputy Commissioner of the Pune Traffic Branch, Himmat Jadhav said, "The deployment of traffic police will not solve the issue in that area. The major issue is due to the lack of infrastructure and the lack of space availability to make the roads wider. The area comes under defence land, and thus, central-level permissions are required for land acquisition to improve the infrastructure. The number of vehicles passing in that area is not that much, but the major problem is due to the carriage width and slow-moving traffic. The 509 Chowk gets traffic flow from three major areas, like Airport Road, Tingre Nagar and Vishrantwadi. The chowk needs to be made congestion-free and should be widened."
