The daily commuters on the Pune-Nagar Road are facing severe traffic congestion due to abrupt and poorly executed changes made as a "signal-free" traffic initiative. The affected areas include major intersections such as Aga Khan Palace, Ramwadi Chowk, Viman Nagar, Fifth Mile, Chandannagar, and Kharadi Bypass.
According to residents and commuters, traffic police have closed several key junctions and introduced circular traffic flows without any prior public notice, signage, or communication. The changes, made overnight by placing barricades on roads and dividers, have caused major confusion, delays, and rising frustration among citizens.
“Instead of managing the traffic, the police seem more interested in issuing challans. We are left struggling in traffic for 15–20 minutes at every junction,” said a six-seater driver in the Chandannagar Chowk area.
Commuters Slam Poor Planning
The commuters allege that traffic police are stationed only to penalize vehicles at certain intersections, ignoring the real issue of congestion. Major bottleneck points such as Kharadi Zakat Naka, Ahilyadevi Holkar Chowk, and the road near the Ramwadi Metro Station are reportedly left unmanaged, worsening the already chaotic situation.
“The barricades placed at several junctions have not just disrupted traffic but created dangerous bottlenecks. There’s no room for vehicles to even turn properly. It seems like these decisions were made without any proper planning or coordination with civic authorities,” said Pratibha Kolate, another commuter.
"Keshav Nagar clearly suffers from poor planning. These roads were meant only for access to the adjacent societies, not for broader infrastructure experiments. Now, in an attempt to cover up the planning failures, authorities are misusing these roads for purposes they were never intended to serve. Despite citizen complaints, the traffic division insists they are taking action. Infrastructure is not being developed. Encroachments are not removed. Just this nonsensical traffic management is happening," said a resident of Keshav Nagar.
"We are continuously acting against wrong-way drivers, especially near the Bund Garden," said a traffic official.
