Pune traffic police have announced route closures and parking restrictions across several parts of the city on November 15 and 16 during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit, with commuters advised to follow police directions and use designated alternative routes.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Dr Sandeep Bhajibhakre, said the changes were being implemented for security reasons. The restrictions cover routes linking the Air Force station in Lohgaon, Viman Nagar, Ramwadi, Mundhwa, Koregaon Park, central Pune and Yerawada.
Parking or stopping of all types of vehicles has been prohibited on the Lohgaon Air Force station-to-Viman Nagar road and the Ramwadi-to-Bharat Forge Company route in Mundhwa on both days. Similar restrictions apply on North Main Road in Koregaon Park, Jahangir Hospital Chowk, Engineering College Chowk, Nehru Memorial Chowk, Jangli Maharaj Road, Tilak Chowk, Tilak Road and Namdar Gopal Krishna Gokhale Road, also known as Fergusson Road.
The no-parking and no-stopping restrictions also cover the Observatory Chowk, Sancheti Chowk, Patil Estate, the Sangamwadi-to-Shadalbaba Chowk route in Yerawada, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk-to-Golf Club Road and the 509 Chowk-to-Lohgaon Air Force station route. The police have asked motorists to comply with instructions at these locations.
Additional restrictions will apply on November 16 because Shah is scheduled to attend a programme at the Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal in Sadashiv Peth. Until the programme concludes, vehicles will not be allowed to park on Tilak Road, near Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, Badshahi Hotel, the route from Perugate Police Chowky to Pawan Maruti Temple and around Bharat Natya Mandir.
From 7am on November 16, traffic will also be closed between Kirad Chowk and Nehru Memorial Hall Chowk. Vehicles travelling along this route have been directed to proceed from Kirad Chowk via the General Post Office towards Hotel Blue Nile Chowk before continuing to their destinations.
The road between Dorabjee Mall and Hotel Blue Nile Chowk near the Pune Zilla Parishad परिसर will also remain closed for traffic during a programme at the district council premises. Traffic police have identified SGS Mall, Poona Club, Ladies Club, Kirad Chowk, lanes around the Pune Police Commissionerate, ISKCON Temple and Blue Nile Chowk as locations where vehicles should be parked.
The restrictions will affect several central and eastern Pune corridors at the same time, including routes used to access offices, hospitals, educational institutions and commercial areas. The traffic police have not announced a general suspension of movement across the city, but access on the listed roads will be controlled or closed according to the security arrangements. Commuters have been asked to plan journeys around the affected corridors and follow directions issued on the ground.
