Pune Traffic Police Use Geotagging to Tackle Potholes, Reduce Traffic Congestion
Pune, 9th September 2024: In a proactive measure to address the persistent issue of potholes affecting traffic flow, Pune city traffic police have begun geotagging potholes across the city’s roads. This initiative aims to monitor road repairs and identify newly formed potholes, which often contribute to traffic jams.
Over the past two weeks, the traffic police have geotagged around 800 potholes as part of this ongoing effort. According to Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, “We are working to establish a digital system for road maintenance in collaboration with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Geotagged pothole locations are shared with civic authorities, who then handle the repairs.”
In late July, the traffic police conducted a survey, identifying 554 potholes at 317 major intersections throughout the city. These potholes were found to be a significant cause of traffic congestion. Initially, the police focused their attention on junctions, but now their efforts extend to all roads in the city, covering more ground to ensure better road conditions.
Following recent heavy rains, many roads have developed new potholes, worsening traffic conditions. In response, police teams are systematically collecting up-to-date information on these road hazards, including photographs and precise geotagged locations. This data is sent to the PMC, which uses it to organize timely repairs.
“A special vehicle has been deployed specifically for this purpose,” Patil explained. “As the vehicle moves around the city, our teams capture photographs and geotag pothole locations quickly and efficiently.”
Once the geotagged data is shared with the PMC, repair work is initiated. “After repairs are completed, local traffic division officers revisit the site to ensure the problem has been resolved,” added Patil.
