Pune Municipal Corporation Removes BRTS Stretch from Swargate to Hadapsar to Ease Traffic
Pune, 10th June 2024: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has removed a 2-km stretch of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) from Swargate to Hadapsar. This decision aims to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce accidents on this busy route.
The move follows the PMC’s discontinuation of a 3.6 km BRTS stretch on Pune-Ahmednagar Road last year, driven by similar concerns. Commuters have welcomed the change, noting that the dedicated BRTS lanes for Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses were causing significant traffic issues. With the BRTS lanes removed, traffic flow is expected to improve substantially.
The Katraj-Swargate-Hadapsar route was launched as a pilot BRTS project in 2007, covering 11.5 km. While the PMC successfully revamped the Katraj to Swargate corridor, the Swargate to Hadapsar section never became a dedicated BRTS lane due to the presence of defence establishments along the route.
According to officials from PMPML, Traffic Police, and the RTO, the bus stops were occupying around 4 to 5 meters of space, causing traffic congestion. Additionally, the placement of bus stands in the middle of the road forced pedestrians to cross the road, leading to several accidents. Therefore, for the convenience of commuters and to reduce traffic, the BRTS lanes were removed.
