Forum for IT Employees Urges PMRDA to Open Almost Complete Hinjawadi-Baner Metro Stretch Instead of Waiting for Full Completion
PUNE: The Forum for IT Employees (FITE) Maharashtra has recently written to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) requesting a phased opening of the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro line, particularly the Hinjawadi Phase 3 to Baner stretch. The forum believes that opening this completed section ahead of the entire 23-km line would ease daily traffic congestion for thousands of IT professionals.
FITE Maharashtra president Pavanjit Mane, who shared a copy of the letter with PuneNow, pointed out that the Baner IT Park and nearby residential hubs house nearly 1.5 to 2 lakh IT employees. Many of them travel daily between Baner and Hinjawadi’s Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, where road infrastructure struggles to handle the heavy traffic load.
The letter acknowledges the progress made on the metro project but highlights that waiting for full completion, including the pending Shivajinagar connectors and station work, could take almost another year. “We humbly request PMRDA to consider opening the line in phases, particularly the Hinjawadi Phase 3 to Baner stretch, where significant progress and testing are already visible,” the forum wrote.
The appeal also notes that while the leadership is inclined to inaugurate the entire stretch in one go, a phased start would immediately benefit lakhs of IT professionals and residents who face worsening traffic issues daily.
FITE Maharashtra added that while the Prime Minister’s interaction with IT employees during the inauguration would be welcome, such plans should not delay the much-needed relief for commuters. “An early Diwali or Christmas gift in the form of a phased metro opening would be deeply appreciated by the IT community,” Mane said in the letter.
