Traffic flow tweaked, smoother ride ahead

PUNE: The Chatushrungi traffic police on Thursday created a new dedicated lane for traffic moving from Aundh Road towards Shivajinagar.
Currently, on an experimental basis, the lane is on the extreme left of the road and extends till the turn towards Senapati Bapat Road. It has been demarcated to allow non-stop movement of vehicles across the traffic signal.
Mooted by senior traffic officials, the dedicated lane is an attempt to reduce peak-hour congestion at the ever-busy junction opposite Savitribai Phule Pune University.Heavy volume of traffic on all arms of the intersection usually results in a huge vehicle build-up between 9am and 11am on weekdays. The average wait time at the crossing is 25 minutes and extends even further when it rains.
Traffic cops are hopeful of a positive impact. "The lane is intended to channelize vehicles going straight so that there is less confusion. Road users need to get acclimatized to the change. Even a 5% to 10% reduction in peak hour wait time will benefit commuters," an official said.
Traffic movement is also being overhauled around Kothrud where pedestrians from Karve College mingle with vehicles on the narrow carriageway leading to congestion and delays. This also raises safety concerns for pedestrians. Senior traffic officials, who inspected the site on Wednesday, have now proposed ways to reduce the interaction. A dedicated pedestrian way is being separated by reducing the carriageway using temporary bollards.
Completion of the flyover at Ambedkar chowk in December will further ease the traffic congestion in the area where, as of now, peak hour traffic slows down due to the construction work. Other ideas, including creating one-ways around the stretch are also being explored.
Meanwhile, Pune MP Anil Shirole met PMRDA officials of Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) on Thursday to work out solutions to ease the woes of commuters travelling on the Baner Mahalunge Hinjewadi routes. Shirole discussed issues of land acquisition to speed up work of road construction on the stretch. He suggested studying the problems faced by commuters to reduce the inconvenience. Earlier, in June, the MP had met Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) officials to discuss the issue of compensation to those parting with their land on the stretch.