Pune Police Served Legal Notice By Viman Nagar Residents Over One-Way Traffic Plan
Pune Police Served Legal Notice By Viman Nagar Residents Over One-Way Traffic Plan
Pune, February 6, 2026: Residents of Viman Nagar have strongly opposed the recently implemented one-way traffic system in the area, calling it irrational, unsafe, and detrimental to daily life. Frustrated by what they describe as harassment and continous inconvenience, residents have issued a legal notice to the Pune Police, demanding immediate reconsideration and withdrawal of the revised traffic plan.
The Revised Traffic Plan, formally launched on November 15, 2025, converted the stretch from Gangapuram Chowk to Ganpati Mandir Chowk and the route from Shrikrishna Chowk to CCD Chowk into one-way corridors. The plan was projected as a “low-cost traffic management” (LCTM) solution aimed at easing evening congestion and traffic gridlocks.
Authorities have cited performance indicators such as an increase in average vehicle speeds on Datta Mandir Road from 13–14 kmph to 22 kmph, and a reduction in travel time from Phoenix Mall to Datta Mandir Chowk from 35–40 minutes to approximately six minutes. However, residents argue that while these figures may appear positive on paper, the ground reality is vastly different and deeply alarming.
According to residents, the plan has been implemented with complete disregard for public welfare, especially that of pedestrians and senior citizens. Advocate Satya Muley stated that although the plan claims authority under Sections 116 (Power to erect traffic signs) and 117 (Parking places and halting lots) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the exercise of these powers has been arbitrary, lacking proper public consultation and ignoring local ground realities. He emphasised that such powers are not absolute and must be exercised reasonably, judiciously, and in the larger public interest.
Public safety has emerged as a major concern. On December 29, 2025, a 66-year-old woman was critically injured at Gangapuram Chowk after being run over by a bus while crossing the road. Residents describe this incident as a direct and foreseeable consequence of the chaotic and confusing traffic environment created by the one-way system.
Senior citizens and residents are now forced to navigate unsafe road conditions without adequate signage, clear markings, or safe pedestrian crossings. Advocate Muley also pointed out that the increased vehicle speeds violate Indian Roads Congress norms (IRC:86-2018), which prioritise safe mobility over speed, and infringe upon the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which includes the right to a safe environment and safe public spaces.
The plan has also caused severe inconvenience, with residents forced to take detours of up to 1 km for distances as short as 10 metres, resulting in fuel wastage, time loss, increased pollution, and rising frustration.
Qaneez Sukhrani, representing the Viman Nagar Citizens Forum, stated that repeated emails and site visits over the past year highlighting remedial measures were ignored. She alleged that the traffic police arbitrarily implemented a dangerous one-way plan, leading to increased vehicle speeds, multiple accidents, safety risks, and economic losses for local shops and businesses.
The residents have now formally demanded that Pune Police reconsider and revise the one-way traffic system in the larger interest of public safety and community welfare.
