The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a unique protest in Pune's Warje area on Thursday. The party's workers performed a puja at a traffic signal that has been closed for five years, causing congestion in the area.
"Every day from 8am to 11am and 6pm to 9pm, there has been significant congestion in this area for the last five years due to the signal not being functional. If the signal becomes operational, congestion in the area will reduce significantly," said AAP's City Vice President Nilesh Wanjale.
The party's City Mahila Aghadi President, Surekha Bhosale, Ward President Abhijit Waghmare, Rickshaw Aghadi President Gopinath Joshi, along with Pundalik Kamble, Vikram Bhagat, Rishikesh Kakade, Anil Navgire, Urmila Wanjale, Sandesh Patil, and other activists, were present on this occasion.
Pune's Congestion Woes
The 2023 TomTom report unveiled concerning statistics about commuting in Pune, indicating that residents spent an average of 256 hours driving per year during peak hours, with half of that time lost to traffic congestion.
Pune, which previously held the sixth position, slipped to seventh place in the rankings, with an increased average travel time of 30 seconds, according to the report.
Experts attribute Pune's persistent traffic issues to several factors, including its expanding population, insufficient transport infrastructure, and a notable rise in the number of private vehicles on the roads.
