On Wednesday morning, the Keshav Nagar area experienced a severe traffic gridlock, leaving commuters stuck for hours — just one example of the daily struggles faced by locals in the area.
Videos of the gridlock went viral on social media, with locals claiming that it is an everyday problem.
Days after Pune Traffic Police reversed their decision of implementing one-way traffic on Renuka Mata Mandir Road, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Amol Zende told The Free Press Journal that once the encroachments are cleared, the one-way traffic movement will be implemented again in Keshav Nagar.
For the unversed, the recently implemented one-way rule near Renuka Mata Mandir, in front of the Unique Legacy Society in Keshav Nagar, led to unexpected traffic snarls and commuter frustration.
Residents then demanded that traffic authorities reconsider the one-way rule and explore alternatives that ease, rather than worsen, the area’s traffic issues. After this, the Traffic Police reversed the decision, which now will be implemented again after the clearing of encroachments.
Speaking to FPJ, Zende said, "We made several roads around Keshav Nagar, particularly near Renuka Mata Mandir Chowk, one-way or completely closed for vehicular movement, but for now, we have stopped it because it was not solving the issue. But once the encroachments are cleared, the one-way traffic movement will be implemented again, and the issue will be resolved. We are working to better the traffic conditions there, but the rest of the civic development needs to be taken care of by the civic body."
Speaking about the traffic situation in area, Zende said, "The basic infrastructure is missing in Keshav Nagar, due to which there is heavy traffic. The drainage system is not proper, which is causing traffic, and the encroachment issue is also there. So, we have asked PMC to remove the encroachments and clear the drainage line in a month's time."
