Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar chairs meeting as part of efforts to make Pune traffic-jam free city

Ajit Pawar along with officials during the meeting

Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting with top officials in Pune and discussed ways to make the city traffic jam-free, an official statement said.

It said that Ajit Pawar directed the officials that effective implementation of various measures and latest technology must be used to create the identity of Pune as a traffic jam-free city.

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The statement said that Ajit Pawar took a comprehensive review of the traffic congestion issue in Pune city. Additional Chief Secretary of Public Works Department Manisha Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department Asim Kumar Gupta, Secretary of Public Works Department Sadashiv Salunkhe, Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Pune City Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil, Pune City Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar and others were present in the meeting.

The Pune City Traffic Police, during the meeting, also shared a road-map on how the city traffic could be decongested.

The statement further stated that Ajit Pawar said, "Citizens are coming to Pune city from various parts of the state due to the employment opportunities created after the industrial development in Pune city and its surroundings. Due to this, the city has been urbanised rapidly. Due to increase in vehicular traffic, the local citizens are facing the problem of traffic congestion. The people of Pune should be freed from the problem of traffic congestion."

He directed that various measures should be effectively implemented to resolve the traffic issues.

Ajit Pawar further said that all possible measures will be taken to solve the traffic jam in Pune city. Initially, emphasis will be placed on low-cost, short-term measures. For this, measures should be taken to start one way traffic system, remove roadside encroachments, reduce traffic signal time, signal-less traffic management, widening internal roads, etc.

The statement said, in the meeting it was further concluded that the Pune Traffic Police should send a detailed proposal for measures to resolve traffic congestion in the city. Accordingly, the Municipal Corporation should remove the encroachment at Navale Junction on the Pune to Katraj road. For this, Pune City Police Commissioner should provide police protection as required. Measures should be taken on priority to solve the traffic congestion at Navale Bridge, Koregaon Park, etc. Funds will be made available for the activities to be implemented to free Pune residents from traffic congestion. Artificial intelligence and advanced technology should be used to solve the problem. Police, Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, Pune Metropolitan Development Authority etc. related to traffic management should work in coordination and get rid of Pune residents from this problem. For this, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar suggested that a coordination committee should be formed which includes expert representatives of these systems.