Pune | September 10, 2026 — Traffic movement has been disrupted across Pune as Ganesh festival mandaps and tableaux occupy parts of already narrow roads, leaving vehicles queued in the central peth areas and several suburbs, according to a report by Loksatta. Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited buses, shared rickshaws and private vehicles have been affected, while some roads have become difficult or impossible for four-wheelers to use.
The congestion has been reported in the central peth areas as well as Shivajinagar, the Sinhagad Road area, Katraj and other suburban locations. The report attributed the disruption to the combined effect of existing encroachments, vehicles parked on roads, undisciplined driving and the additional space taken up by mandaps installed for the festival.
According to the report, a rule requires a mandap to be limited to one-third of the width of the road. However, mandaps and festival displays at several locations have allegedly been erected in violation of that requirement. The resulting reduction in carriageway width has left traffic police attempting to guide vehicles through crowded stretches while managing queues at the same time.
The congestion is also affecting public transport operations. PMPML buses and shared rickshaws have reportedly been getting stuck on narrow roads, reducing the available road space for other vehicles. Some routes are effectively closed to cars, and commuters travelling towards metro stations are facing difficulties reaching them through the congested streets.
Pune’s central areas already have limited road width, and the report said that roadside encroachments, food stalls, parked vehicles and continuous traffic movement have reduced the usable space further. The installation of mandaps during the festival has added another temporary obstruction to roads that are already operating under pressure.
The traffic impact is not limited to one part of the city. Loksatta reported similar conditions across central neighbourhoods and suburban areas, with vehicles moving slowly or remaining in queues near mandap locations. The situation is placing additional pressure on traffic police, who are responsible for keeping vehicles moving through roads narrowed by structures, parked vehicles and heavy traffic.
A traffic police officer quoted in the report said that motorists were continuing to violate traffic rules despite repeated instructions. “It is not possible to make way for vehicles in such a situation,” the officer said, describing the difficulty of managing movement when drivers do not follow directions.
The report also recorded demands for action against mandaps that have been erected without following the road-width requirement. The immediate administrative response, including any enforcement measures or changes to traffic arrangements, was not specified in the supplied material.
