Pune traffic congestion has intensified across the city as Ganesh festival mandaps and tableaux occupy road space, adding pressure to already narrow and encroached streets. Loksatta reported on September 10 that vehicle queues were visible in several central and suburban areas, while PMPML buses and shared autorickshaws were getting stuck on restricted stretches.
The disruption has been reported in Pune’s central peth areas as well as Shivajinagar, the Sinhagad Road area, Katraj and other suburbs. Several roads have become difficult for four-wheelers to use, while commuters travelling towards metro stations are also facing difficulties reaching the stations.
According to the report, many city roads were already operating with reduced usable width because of encroachments, roadside food stalls, vehicles parked on the carriageway and continuous traffic movement. The installation of festival mandaps has further reduced the available space for vehicles and public transport.
A rule cited in the report states that a mandap should occupy no more than one-third of the road’s width. However, mandaps and festival displays at several locations have reportedly been erected in violation of that limit. The resulting constrictions have left vehicles moving slowly through crowded stretches and have increased the workload of traffic police managing intersections and narrow corridors.
The impact has been particularly visible for PMPML buses and shared autorickshaws, which are unable to move freely through some of the affected roads. The restrictions are also complicating access to metro stations for passengers who depend on road-based connections for the first or last part of their journeys.
A traffic police officer quoted by Loksatta said that motorists were continuing to violate traffic rules despite repeated instructions. “No matter how much we tell undisciplined drivers, they do not listen. In such a situation, it is not possible to make way for vehicles,” the officer said.
The report also noted that traffic police are under pressure while attempting to manage movement around the mandaps and festival installations. It did not provide details of a citywide removal drive, revised traffic diversion plan or a formal timeline from the Pune civic administration or traffic police. Further action on mandap size, encroachments and traffic management remains to be specified by the concerned authorities.
