Residents seek 1-way for Pune Elite Lines Road

  • | Sunday | 17th June, 2018

A one-way restriction won’t help.”Autorickshaw driver Shahid Shaikh said, “The reopening of Elite Lines Road has helped reduce my travel time and fuel expenses. A one-way restriction could be a solution.” On May 22, the road was reopened following a Ministry of Defence directive.Some residents said quicker access to and from Ghorpadi to Koregaon Park has seen more vehicles, which converge from different areas near Ghorpadi railway crossing at one end and the junction near Kalyaninagar bridge on the other end, preferring the Elite Lines Road. This stretch is narrow and cannot accommodate such heavy traffic.Minor road accidents and congestions are reported , they said. Another resident, Sanjay Kawade, said, “Traffic and army personnel find it difficult to manage the volume of traffic.

PUNE: A spillover effect of frequent traffic snarls at the either end of the Elite Lines Road , which connects Ghorpadi to Koregaon Park, has spurred some residents to seek a one-way restriction on this 1km road.Another group insisted that vehicular congestion is restricted to peak hours and imposing a one-way restriction was unnecessary.Residents of Ghorpadi and several adjoining areas had waged a prolonged struggle for the reopening of Elite Lines Road after Pune Sub Area, which is the local military authority, closed it for civilian traffic owing to security reasons following the German Bakery blast in 2010. On May 22, the road was reopened following a Ministry of Defence directive.Some residents said quicker access to and from Ghorpadi to Koregaon Park has seen more vehicles, which converge from different areas near Ghorpadi railway crossing at one end and the junction near Kalyaninagar bridge on the other end, preferring the Elite Lines Road. This stretch is narrow and cannot accommodate such heavy traffic.Minor road accidents and congestions are reported , they said. “Commuters often ride vehicles at high speed through the Elite Lines, defence area, and this often results in vehicles skidding and hitting protective barricades,” local resident Anant Kale said.A one-way restriction can help resolve the problem considering the rise in vehicles on this road, post-reopening, said Sanket Sale, a garment shop owner. Another resident, Sanjay Kawade, said, “Traffic and army personnel find it difficult to manage the volume of traffic. Hence, we have sought a one way.”However, Arvind Pillay, who runs a garage at Jai Hind chowk in Ghorpadi, said, “The traffic congestion problem is confined to peak hours and the road is fairly free for vehicles. A one-way restriction won’t help.”Autorickshaw driver Shahid Shaikh said, “The reopening of Elite Lines Road has helped reduce my travel time and fuel expenses. I have quicker access to Koregaon Park.” Sanjay Pillay, a private firm employee from Ghorpadi, said, “ I had to travel an extra 6km daily but now I am saved from excess travel.”Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Ashok Morale told TOI, “We have told officials from Koregoan Park traffic division to take suggestions and objections from people on the one-way demand and submit a report.”For now, the traffic branch has posted two persons to man the traffic here. A traffic police officer said, “Often, private cabs are seen driving their vehicles at high speeds. The army personnel have reported this too.”Kiran Mantri, who represents Ghorpadi ward in the Pune Cantonment Board , said, “One-way restriction can mitigate the situation to a great extent.” A senior Pune Sub Area officer, said, “We were aware of the situation going by our observations in the past and, hence, were not in favour of allowing civilian traffic on this stretch. Securing our establishments along this stretch was also a concern.”PCB vice president Priyanka Shirigiri said, “We have been urging people to follow traffic rules while using the reopened roads. A one-way restriction could be a solution.”

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