Pune: Public Outcry Over Mangaldas Road Traffic and Unsafe Footpaths Following Sadhu Vaswani Bridge Demolition

Pune, 20th July 2024: Qaneez Sukhrani, Convenor of the Association of Nagar Road Citizens Forum, along with members Ashutosh Mashruwala and Umesh Magar, have expressed serious concerns to the Pune Police and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) regarding the current traffic situation following the demolition of Sadhu Vaswani Bridge, Koregaon Park.

In their communication, the activists highlighted several issues resulting from the traffic diversion to Mangaldas Road. The diversion has caused severe congestion, particularly on a 300-meter stretch before the corner at Wadia College, leading to two-wheelers frequently riding on the footpath.

Photos and videos provided by Sukhrani and her team illustrate the dire condition of the footpath, with broken tiles and numerous holes making it hazardous for pedestrians. One image clearly shows college students maneuvering through the crowded footpath, risking their safety amid the chaos caused by the diverted traffic.

Sukhrani criticized the traffic diversion as “thoughtless,” arguing that it fails to account for effective traffic planning and results in unnecessary public inconvenience. “This routing achieves nothing except inconvenience to the public,” Sukhrani remarked. She suggested that traffic should have been allowed to flow as it did before the diversion, with a two-way system on Mangaldas Road to alleviate the issues.

Additional concerns were raised about the blocked right turn at the end of Mangaldas Road. Despite this, some motorists are observed coming in the opposite direction from the ICICI Bank side, creating a hazardous situation at the junction. Furthermore, those who need to head towards Bund Garden are forced to make a left turn and then take a U-turn at Mangaldas Police Chowky, adding to the traffic congestion.

The diversion has also led to one side of Mangaldas Road being underutilized, as there is no traffic flowing from the Wadia College end. The route around ICICI Bank, which requires a right turn at Mangaldas Road, has been described as “senseless” given the current traffic patterns.

Moreover, Sukhrani pointed out the absence of traffic wardens in the area, exacerbating the situation. She called for more visible enforcement to manage the traffic effectively.

Sukhrani concluded that if the public must endure the construction of the new Sadhu Vaswani Bridge for the next two to three years, both the Traffic Police and PMC need to devise a more convenient traffic management plan to mitigate public distress.