In the heart of Pune, Swargate Chowk has become a hotbed of traffic congestion, frustrating daily commuters and pedestrians alike. Despite persistent complaints from residents, the situation at Swargate Chowk remains unimproved, impacting travel times, productivity, and overall convenience.
The Daily Struggles: For Rajesh Jannu, a resident of Swargate, the primary issue revolves around unceasing traffic jams. He laments the necessity of navigating through multiple congested intersections, adding significant travel time to his daily commute. As he makes his way to Laxmi Narayan Chowk for work in areas like Sathe Colony and Ghorpade Peth, he is compelled to take longer routes through chowks such as Seven Loves Chowk or Sinhagad Road.
Pranav Unde, a resident of Sahakarnagar, shares a similar tale of woe. Swargate Chowk is often a point of frustration for him due to the ongoing Metro construction. To make matters worse, the presence of an ST stand near the two-way flyover heading towards Satara Road and Panchami Hotel leads to chaotic crossings by bus passengers. This impulsive road-crossing behavior further hampers traffic flow, despite the repeated notifications to the Traffic Police.
Rupesh Kesekar, a resident of Budhwar Peth, experiences daily commuter congestion at Swargate Chowk, particularly while traveling on PMPML buses. The ongoing Metro work has eaten into the space allocated for PMPML, causing space constraints. He suggests that the Metro’s construction materials and storage should be housed inside the building to free up much-needed space. Shifting PMPML bus stops to the rear could also optimize road usage.
Official Response: Ganesh Khengre, Sub Inspector at Swargate Traffic Police Division, addresses the traffic situation at Swargate Chowk. He mentions that three traffic officials are assigned to the entire Swargate Chowk daily to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles. In addition to this, six more officials have been deployed by the Pune Metro to further assist with traffic management at Swargate Chowk.
