Faster Roads in Pune? This is How They Are Smartly Fixing Pune’s Traffic and Increasing Driving Speeds

Pune’s traffic police have reported a dramatic improvement in the city’s road conditions, with vehicle speeds increasing by 10.44% and congestion at key choke points reducing by 53% over the past four months, according to a recent study. The improvements are attributed to strategic measures like signal synchronization, enhanced traffic personnel training, and infrastructure tweaks.

Key Findings of the Study

1. Reduction in Congestion Incidents:
   • January 2024: 184 congestion incidents
   • February 2024: 118 incidents
   • March 2024: 126 incidents
2. Annual Traffic Hours:
   • 2023: 109 hours 45 minutes per commuter
   • 2024: 108 hours
   • 2025: Further improvement observed
3. Hotspot Interventions:
   • 20 congestion-prone zones identified and addressed.
   • 59 locations optimized through traffic engineering.

Major Causes of Congestion Identified

The traffic police listed 11 primary factors contributing to Pune’s traffic woes:

• Indiscipline at junctions
• Traffic rule violations
• Potholes & ongoing infrastructure projects
• Heavy vehicle flow
• Festivals & processions
• Vehicle breakdowns & accidents
• VIP movements
• Malfunctioning traffic signals

Strategic Measures Implemented

• Signal synchronization at Juna Bazaar Chowk & RTO Chowk.
• Banning right turns at 15 critical intersections.
• Road widening at 14 bottlenecks.
• Relocating PMPML & luxury bus stands.
• Removing encroachments at 7 key sites.
• One-way systems at 2 locations.
• Live traffic monitoring via CCTV on 32 arterial roads.

Officials’ Insights

Manoj Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police, stated:

“Control room staff act swiftly on congestion alerts from live feeds and public complaints. While factors like VIP movements or sudden breakdowns remain unpredictable, short-term fixes like bus stop relocations and signal tweaks have cut daily jams from 38 to 22.”

Jaymala Dhankikar, Activist, urged:

“Police must continue innovating for safer commutes.”

Comparative Data (2023 vs. 2024-25)

• Congestion levels dropped by 21%.
• Travel time for 10 km reduced by 1 minute.
• November-December 2024 congestion: 34% (vs. 36% in 2023).

Future Plans

• More tech-driven solutions (AI-based signal adjustments).
• PMC collaboration for road expansions.
• Stricter enforcement against violations.