Traffic Chaos In Pune's Kondhwa: Locals Blame Encroachments, Lack Of Police Presence (VIDEO)
The Kondhwa traffic police have implemented some road diversions on the busy Salunke Vihar Road to address severe bottlenecks at many points on the stretch. However, the residents are irked by the traffic scenes in that area.
Despite diversions and traffic measures, traffic jams continue to plague the stretch, with many frustrated residents highlighting the failure to address the core issue of road encroachments.
Dr. Jasmeet Kaur, a resident of Lullanagar, said, "If I have to go to Raheja Reserve, especially on weekends, it becomes a task. Going towards it is still better, but in the return journey one has to wait for hours and hours as the traffic is worse. During weekends, while coming from the NIBM area, I wait till 10 o'clock and then move towards Lullanagar as the traffic flow is a bit better. Near Jashan Hotel, the traffic is insane. It's a bottleneck and even my patients who are coming from Khondhwa complain about traffic jams at that junction."
Locals using alternate routes
Locals now have to navigate alternative routes, such as internal lanes or other roundabouts, but these detours often lead to further traffic bottlenecks.
"Lane No. 11 near ABC Farms Chowk has been blocked for all vehicular movement. Similarly, traffic diversions have been created at the Fakhri Hills Chowk. Now, to go towards Lullanagar, one must take other internal roads. However, this doesn't guarantee that you won't get stuck in traffic jams at other roundabouts, like near Badhai Sweets. I don't see how this is going to help and we are spending half of our lives waiting in the traffic jams," said Siddharth Rawle, a resident of Undri.
Preetam Karale said, "The changes at Fakhri Hills Chowk, which involve diversions for travelers heading towards Lullanagar and Salunke Vihar, have reportedly eased some traffic flow, but commuters still face significant delays in other parts of the area. The authorities need to remove the encroachments. The road width has become narrow, and footpaths too are blocked. Peak hours are a nightmare. These steps taken by the police will be of no use till encroachments along the road are removed."
Naushad Tamboli, a resident of Khondhwa, said, "The traffic during peak hours from 9 am till 12 pm and in the evening from 5 pm to 9 pm is insane. The traffic police personnel are sometimes missing and not deployed as per the requirement. At least two police should be there at each chowk. However, more measures need to be taken in areas like Kondhwa, Undri, etc. We face major commuting hassles each day."
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