A’nagar Rd hit by encroachments, TOURIST bus hub

A’nagar Rd hit by encroachments, TOURIST bus hub

Pune: Traffic issues are not only plaguing the heart of the city, where roads are narrow but also main roads on the outskirts. Ahmednagar Road is one of the main roads in the city, where private travel operators and encroachments have wreaked havoc. This has led to serious traffic problems though the road is 60-metre wide.

The road is a state highway, which runs for around 7.5 km within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits. The Public Works Department has handed over this stretch to the civic body for maintenance and related works. 

The road stretch starts from Parnakuti police station (Yerawada) to Aapla Ghar (Chandan Nagar). The PMC has introduced the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on this stretch. Bus passengers are happy, however, other commuters face problems. 

At the starting point of BRTS in Yerawada, there is traffic chaos all the time. The road becomes narrow due to encroachments on both sides. Parnakuti Chowk to Gunjan Chowk has heavy traffic daily. There is a police station and the Yerwada-Dhanori-Kalas ward office on this stretch. Yet encroachments have not been curbed. 
          
Private bus operators park their vehicles on both sides of the road at Gunjan Talkies Chowk. It appears to have become a private transport hub. 

The traffic police had announced to clear the chowk of tourist vehicles but nothing has happened as yet. Shastri Nagar Chowk, Viman Nagar Chowk, and Chandan Nagar Chowk (near Army School gate) witness major bottlenecks.
 
Pune Municipal Corporation Road Department Executive Engineer Bharat Mohite admitted there are some traffic issues on this road. 

He told Sakal Times, “On the entire stretch of Ahmednagar Road, there are five traffic black spots. We are trying to clear them by taking initiatives such as anti-encroachment drives, installing signages and deploying traffic wardens. This road doesn’t have a single overbridge or grade separator. There is no major problem like other major roads in the city.”

Commenting on the issue, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator Mahendra Pathare said, “We have been demanding a flyover to clear traffic problems on this road. Being a state highway, it has heavy traffic and it gets choked frequently in the mornings and evenings. Shastri Nagar Chowk, Viman Nagar Chowk, Kharadi bypass are troublesome spots.”

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