Pune, 31 July 2025: Thousands of vehicles from Baner, Pashan, Sakal Nagar, Balewadi, Sangvi, Pimple Gurav and Pimpri-Chinchwad use the Ganeshkhind Road and pass through the Savitribai Phule Pune University area every day.
However, poor traffic planning and insufficient regulation by the traffic police have led to daily congestion on this stretch and inside the university premises. Commuters are forced to deal with long delays and growing frustration, especially during rush hours.
The university premises have become a hotspot for traffic congestion. Vehicles coming from Pimpri-Chinchwad via Aundh enter the university near the Chaturshringi police station. At the same time, traffic from Pashan, Baner and Sakal Nagar approaches from the Raj Bhavan side, taking a U-turn to get onto Ganeshkhind Road.
Meanwhile, vehicles from Sangvi and Pimple Gurav enter through the IUCAA gate. The convergence of vehicles from all three directions creates major bottlenecks at the university’s main gate and within its internal roads.
The problem peaks during morning hours between 9:00 am and 11:30 am and again from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm in the evening, with long queues of vehicles extending across major junctions.
Adding to the chaos, metro construction work right in front of the university has restricted road space. The road near VAMNICOM has also developed large potholes, and incomplete resurfacing work has only made matters worse. Though the road was recently re-laid, its current condition appears as if it has been dug up again, slowing traffic further.
While some traffic wardens and police personnel have been deployed in the Chaturshringi area, their numbers fall short of what’s needed. Areas like the IUCAA gate on Khadki–Aundh Road require more hands on the ground, especially during peak traffic hours.
Immediate repairs of potholes on Ganeshkhind Road are crucial. Additionally, if work on one lane of the ongoing metro flyover is completed soon, it could offer temporary relief to daily commuters.