Pune: The closure of the road from Shanipar Chowk to Mandai on Saturday led to significant traffic congestion in central Pune, disrupting the flow on Bajirao Road, Appa Balwant Chowk, Kumthekar Road, and other connecting routes.
The absence of adequate traffic police exacerbated the situation, leaving commuters stuck for extended periods.
Weekend crowds in the city's bustling central markets, such as Tulshibaug and Mandai, are typical. However, the Champa Shashti festival on Saturday added to the surge, as many devotees flocked to nearby temples.
To manage the increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic, authorities diverted vehicles from Shanipar Chowk towards Bajirao Road.
The diversion, implemented without sufficient public notice, resulted in long queues of vehicles at Shanipar Chowk, stretching into adjacent roads. Even with functioning traffic signals, buses, auto-rickshaws, and two-wheelers found it difficult to navigate.
Contributing to the congestion were disorganized parking practices, vehicles stationed on both sides of narrow lanes, and delivery trucks stopping for unloading.
The compounded delays left drivers and passengers frustrated as they struggled to maneuver through the bottlenecked areas.
Speaking about the situation, Harshvardhan Gade, Police Inspector of the Vishrambaug Traffic Division, stated, “Given the increased shopping activity over weekends and the holidays, traffic heading towards Mandai from Shanipar Chowk was diverted to Bajirao Road to ease congestion.”