Pune: Nagar Road Residents Slam PMC and Traffic Police Over ‘Signal-Free’ Chaos, Demand Urgent Pedestrian Safety Measures
Pune: Nagar Road Residents Slam PMC and Traffic Police Over 'Signal-Free' Chaos, Demand Urgent Pedestrian Safety Measures
PUNE, June 3, 2025 – The Association of Nagar Road Citizens Forum has strongly condemned the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Traffic Police for what it calls “hasty, half-baked, and dangerous” changes on Nagar Road. The 7-km stretch, which has been under transition from a BRTS corridor to a ‘signal-free’ route, is now being described by residents as a “hazard zone” for both motorists and pedestrians.
Convenor Qaneez Sukhrani, who has been raising concerns for the past two months, issued a detailed press note outlining 15 major demands to restore order, ensure pedestrian safety, and improve traffic flow.
According to the forum, PMC’s removal of BRTS infrastructure—including railings, shelters, and corridor walls—has been sluggish and incomplete, leaving behind physical obstructions that waste usable road space. Moreover, residents are alarmed that the removal of traffic signals has made it virtually impossible for pedestrians to cross the 60-metre-wide road safely. “Earlier, signals provided at least a pause in traffic. Now, there is no safe crossing at all,” the note stated.
Frequent U-turns replacing signals have also created chaos, especially where vehicles attempting to merge left after a U-turn face fast-moving traffic from behind. The forum has called for immediate installation of high-visibility signage, barricades, and IRC-approved speed breakers with rumbler strips to reduce risk.
Criticism was particularly sharp for decisions like the abrupt closure of the Shastrinagar intersection and poor management at the Kharadi turn, where signage is either missing or insufficient. Ongoing culvert work near Shree Hospital further narrows road width, worsening congestion.
Citizens urged authorities to re-prioritize pedestrians and urban realities over signal-free theories better suited to highways. “Pedestrian safety is a right, not a footnote,” said Sukhrani, demanding wardens, pedestrian crossings, and better planning.
The association has called for immediate collaboration between PMC and Traffic Police, setting deadlines and implementing scientifically sound solutions before more lives are put at risk.
