Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has said the civic administration has launched a drive to decongest 32 key roads across the city by keeping carriageways free of obstacles, amid mounting complaints from commuters over frequent traffic snarls.
Speaking at a workshop on “Improving Urban Mobility in Pune” organised by the civic body at Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir on Tuesday, Ram said a comprehensive plan is being finalised to prioritise road resurfacing, continuous repairs of utility chambers, and completion of missing road links through coordinated efforts among multiple agencies.
The workshop was attended by representatives from the civic administration, traffic police, citizen groups and other stakeholders. PMC is working simultaneously on short- and long-term solutions to enhance overall mobility in the city.
Long-term measures include major infrastructure projects such as flyovers and the expansion of the Metro network. Short-term interventions, however, will focus on removing immediate bottlenecks, including shifting electricity poles and power supply feeders obstructing traffic, ensuring even road surfaces, and maintaining pothole-free carriageways.
“We will also work out solutions regarding feeder poles and distribution points with MSEDCL, and coordinate road-digging plans with BSNL. Citizens’ participation and support will be vital in executing these initiatives,” said Ram.
He added that completing “missing links” in the road network is a top priority, as it would improve travel speed and connectivity across the city. The upcoming ring road project on the outskirts, he noted, is expected to reduce the entry of heavy vehicles into the city core.
“PMC will execute these efforts in mission mode,” the commissioner asserted.
Apart from road engineering measures, the civic administration has also prioritised improving streetlight infrastructure, managing construction and demolition (C&D) waste, removing illegal hoardings, and addressing the proliferation of illegal hawkers occupying city streets.
Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, who was present at the event, urged the administration to fix departmental accountability. She said a lack of proper planning and execution had contributed to severe traffic chaos, with commuters frequently facing congestion.
“Bigger projects will take time, but the administration cannot wait for them to be completed. Immediate solutions must be implemented,” she said, adding that special attention should be given to improving the road network in newly merged areas.
Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil said traffic speed in the city had improved in recent months, with the department prioritising the most congested stretches for corrective measures.
“Pune’s vehicle population is significant. Therefore, we are implementing low-cost traffic management techniques using the latest technologies. Intelligent congestion monitoring under the Traffic Management System (ITMS) is underway,” Patil said.
He also noted that the city’s relatively low share of public transport has resulted in heavy dependence on private vehicles, further adding to congestion.
Other public representatives present at the workshop included Leader of the House Ganesh Bidkar, Leader of the Opposition Nilesh Nikam, and Deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar.
