Pune: Citizens Slam Signal Removal, Demand Urgent Safety Measures On Nagar Road
Pune: Citizens Slam Signal Removal, Demand Urgent Safety Measures On Nagar Road
Pune, September 9, 2025: A major protest has erupted among residents of Viman Nagar, Kalyani Nagar, and Nagar Road after the Traffic Police scrapped key signals at Viman Nagar Chowk (AGNI) and Shastri Nagar Chowk, replacing them with U-turns.
Citizens, led by Qaneez Sukhrani, Convenor of the Association of Nagar Road Citizens Forum, have demanded that the controversial arrangement be reviewed immediately and corrective measures be put in place within a week.
In a strongly worded petition addressed to senior officials of the PMC, Traffic Police, and the Maharashtra government, residents highlighted multiple hazards created by the “No Signal, Only U-Turn” plan. Videos and photos shared by citizens even show a police vehicle driving on the wrong side, underscoring how unsafe and chaotic the system has become. While signals at two of the city’s busiest junctions have been removed, smaller junctions like Bhaji Market (Chandan Nagar), 9 BRD, and Aga Nagar still have functioning signals, often out of sync, adding to confusion.
Qaneez Sukhrani noted that scrapping signals on urban roads is dangerous, especially for pedestrians forced to dart across the 60-metre-wide Nagar Road. She added that the system also delays critical access to hospitals such as Sahyadri and Shree during emergencies like heart attacks, paralysis, or accidents. “Traffic Police did not consult citizens before implementing these changes. They may work on highways, but in dense urban zones, safety must come first,” she said.
Citizens cited Article 21 of the Indian Constitution – the fundamental right to life and personal liberty – arguing that the current arrangement violates their right to safety. They demanded a range of urgent measures, including:
- Restoring at-grade pedestrian signals at major junctions.
- Deploying wardens to help pedestrians cross safely.
- Removing incomplete BRTS corridors and railings still pending since December 2024.
- Strictly curbing wrong-side driving, which has reportedly increased since the U-turns were introduced.
- Installing clear signages, barriers, rumblers, and speed-breakers to regulate speeding vehicles.
- Providing safe merging lanes for vehicles after U-turns to avoid collisions with fast-moving traffic.
Residents also raised serious concerns over the closure of Shastri Nagar intersection without proper study, calling the decision “disastrous.” They described chaotic traffic at the scissor crossover near Aga Khan Palace and incomplete culvert work outside Shree Hospital, which worsens congestion. Similarly, the Kharadi right turn remains “confusing and dangerous” due to unmarked corridors and leftover BRTS walls.
The joint representation, signed by citizens from Viman Nagar, Kalyani Nagar, and Nagar Road, calls for Traffic Police and PMC to work together instead of “at cross purposes.” They stressed that priority must be given to pedestrians over increasing vehicular speed, warning that unless action is taken within a week, the new system will continue to endanger lives.
