Faster Roads in Pune? This is How They Are Smartly Fixing Pune’s Traffic and Increasing Driving Speeds
Pune’s traffic police have reported a dramatic improvement in the city’s road conditions, with vehicle speeds increasing by 10.44% and congestion at key choke points reducing by 53% over the past four months, according to a recent study. The improvements are attributed to strategic measures like signal synchronization, enhanced traffic personnel training, and infrastructure tweaks.
Key Findings of the Study
- Reduction in Congestion Incidents:
- January 2024: 184 congestion incidents
- February 2024: 118 incidents
- March 2024: 126 incidents
- Annual Traffic Hours:
- 2023: 109 hours 45 minutes per commuter
- 2024: 108 hours
- 2025: Further improvement observed
- Hotspot Interventions:
- 20 congestion-prone zones identified and addressed.
- 59 locations optimized through traffic engineering.
Major Causes of Congestion Identified
The traffic police listed 11 primary factors contributing to Pune’s traffic woes:
- Indiscipline at junctions
- Traffic rule violations
- Potholes & ongoing infrastructure projects
- Heavy vehicle flow
- Festivals & processions
- Vehicle breakdowns & accidents
- VIP movements
- Malfunctioning traffic signals
Strategic Measures Implemented
- Signal synchronization at Juna Bazaar Chowk & RTO Chowk.
- Banning right turns at 15 critical intersections.
- Road widening at 14 bottlenecks.
- Relocating PMPML & luxury bus stands.
- Removing encroachments at 7 key sites.
- One-way systems at 2 locations.
- Live traffic monitoring via CCTV on 32 arterial roads.
Officials’ Insights
Manoj Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police, stated:
“Control room staff act swiftly on congestion alerts from live feeds and public complaints. While factors like VIP movements or sudden breakdowns remain unpredictable, short-term fixes like bus stop relocations and signal tweaks have cut daily jams from 38 to 22.”
Jaymala Dhankikar, Activist, urged:
“Police must continue innovating for safer commutes.”
Comparative Data (2023 vs. 2024-25)
- Congestion levels dropped by 21%.
- Travel time for 10 km reduced by 1 minute.
- November-December 2024 congestion: 34% (vs. 36% in 2023).
Future Plans
- More tech-driven solutions (AI-based signal adjustments).
- PMC collaboration for road expansions.
- Stricter enforcement against violations.
