Residents and commuters at Warje’s Old Octroi Naka took to the streets on Wednesday in a fervent protest against persistent traffic congestion plaguing the area. Demanding immediate action from city authorities, protesters urged the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to prioritize the construction of a flyover and allocate dedicated funds in the municipal budget to address the longstanding traffic woes.
The protest, held at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk, drew participants from various quarters, including residents from Warje Pune and members from the Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency. Expressing dissatisfaction with the PMC’s failure to earmark provisions in the 2024-25 budget for resolving traffic bottlenecks, demonstrators emphasized the urgent need for a flyover spanning from Kakade City to Warje Highway.
Notable figures present at the protest included MP Supriya Sule, Pune City President of the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Chandra Pawar’s Prashant Jagtap, and several assembly constituency presidents and former corporators. The demonstration underscored growing frustration over the lack of concrete action to alleviate the area’s worsening traffic congestion.
Commuters highlighted the challenges posed by heavy vehicle movement, exacerbated by traffic snarls on the Pune-Mumbai highway, particularly at the narrow Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk junction. The absence of adequate infrastructure, such as a wider road or a flyover, has compounded commuters’ woes during peak hours, leading to prolonged delays and increased frustration.
Local residents emphasized the necessity for proactive planning by the PMC, asserting that the construction of a flyover should have been prioritized to mitigate traffic congestion effectively. Despite assurances from the PMC a decade ago regarding the construction of a second flyover, progress on the project has stalled, leaving commuters disillusioned with the authorities’ promises.
Former corporators expressed skepticism regarding the PMC’s commitment to the project, citing the absence of budgetary allocations as a glaring indicator of bureaucratic inertia. With no tangible progress in sight, protesters reiterated their demand for immediate action, emphasizing that only a flyover can provide a lasting solution to the area’s traffic woes.
