Pune Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, in a press conference held on Thursday, claimed that the city's traffic speed has increased by 10.5 percent by increasing the carrying capacity of existing roads, and 50 traffic jams have been reduced.
Speaking with the media, Patil informed that it was done using two techniques - IRC 106-1990 Low cost traffic management techniques for urban areas and IRC SP 043-1994 Improving the capacity of roads in urban areas.
Further, in the press note issued by Pune Traffic Police, it stated, "Traffic in the city is a matter of great concern, and approximately every resident of the city faces it regularly. On average, individuals have to travel around 50 km due to traffic congestion, which leads to issues like fuel wastage, environmental degradation, and mental stress. In 2023, Pune ranked as the fourth slowest city for traffic, while it dropped to the seventh position in 2024. Thus, addressing traffic issues has become crucial to improving the situation."
How did they do it?
Thus a detailed investigation into traffic-related issues in Pune City was conducted under the guidance of Amitesh Kumar, Police Commissioner; Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Police Joint Commissioner; and Manoj Patil, Additional Police Commissioner, East Regional Division. The study focused on improving road capacity and reducing traffic jams, using real-life observations and traffic engineering methods. It was carried out with the help of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and other government agencies.
33 major roads were identified for improvement
As part of this effort, 265 km of 33 major roads were identified for improvement, and several initiatives were launched to enhance the traffic flow. These include changing traffic engineering procedures, using vehicle count data for efficient management of right turns, left turns, and U-turns, improving road surfaces, removing bottlenecks, relocating traffic hotspots like bus, rickshaw, and luxury vehicle stands, synchronizing traffic signals, and managing parking issues. Moreover, additional human resources were allocated for traffic regulation and law enforcement.
The press release also informed that the data-driven approach has led to significant improvements in traffic management.
In addition, 445 traffic cops have received training on rules, regulations, and communication techniques, and more officers will soon follow suit. To increase overall traffic efficiency, 302 traffic lights were also examined and modified.
