Traffic rule violations rampant in old Pune city, increasing risk of accidents
Traffic rule violations rampant in old Pune city, increasing risk of accidents (Representational Image )
Due to congested roads and limited space, vehicular traffic has long been problematic in the old city. However, drivers blatantly breaking traffic laws in the crowded area is a major problem.
In the old city, there was recently an accident that claimed the life of a student due to a lack of road discipline. He was riding his scooter on Shivaji Road towards Swargate from Budhwar Chowk when a scooter rider who was going in the wrong direction came in front of him. The young person lost control of his two-wheeler and tumbled onto the road, getting run over by a dumper truck.
Additionally, people are left with no option but to walk on narrow roads due to a lack of proper footpaths or encroachments on pavement.
Thousands of students, tourists, shoppers and devotees visiting various temples frequent the old city areas.
According to a Pune Traffic Police officer, heavy vehicles are not permitted to travel on Shivaji Road or other small roads between 6 am and 11 pm. But trucks and other large vehicles, as well as buses from other states, both private and public, are the main source of traffic jams here. Heavy vehicle operators who disobey orders face harsh penalties regularly. In the past four months, they have prosecuted several heavy vehicle and wrong-side drivers. Still, drivers disobey traffic laws.
The officer went on to say that Shivaji Road and Bajirao Road are connected by a complex network. A few no-entries and a few one-ways. Road rules are also disregarded by two-wheeler riders.
According to an activist, the infrastructure of the city is not built to deter driving on the wrong side of the road. In order to avoid traffic bottlenecks, drivers frequently turn their cars onto sidewalks. It is important to design pathways, dividers, and medians to prevent this kind of climbing. These infractions frequently result in fatal accidents.
