Pune: Sinhagad Road Chaos Near Funtime Cinema: ‘Take Action Now!’ Demands Minister Madhuri Misal
Pune: Sinhagad Road Chaos Near Funtime Cinema: 'Take Action Now!' Demands Minister Madhuri Misal
Despite a new flyover, traffic woes continue; encroachments and poor planning under fire from top leaders and citizens alike.
Just days after the much-anticipated Rajaram Bridge to Funtime Cinema flyover opened, easing some congestion, traffic jams persist near Funtime Cinema on Sinhagad Road, prompting strong reactions from citizens and political leaders alike.
In response, Maharashtra minister Madhuri Misal and Khadakwasla MLA Bhimrao Tapkir conducted an on-ground inspection on Thursday to evaluate the situation firsthand. Joining them were Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials, the Encroachment Department, and traffic police representatives.
Misal issued a clear and urgent directive: “Strict action must be taken against illegal encroachments on the service road if we want to truly solve the traffic issue.” She emphasized that repeated complaints from residents and social media outcry had made this issue impossible to ignore.
During the inspection, several key problems were identified:
- Roadside encroachments choking the service lanes
- Design flaws in the road layout at junctions
- Haphazard roadside parking contributing to gridlocks
As part of immediate measures, a speed breaker near Funtime Theatre was removed, and the PMC began clearing vehicles from Veer Baji Pasalkar Chowk. Plans to remove cycle tracks and reclaim occupied space were also initiated.
However, traffic snarls continue, stretching from Dhayari Phata to Veer Baji Pasalkar Chowk despite the new flyover. A week ago, this stretch saw a 6-km jam with delays of up to four hours, creating daily misery for commuters.
As anger mounts, authorities are discussing both short-term solutions (stricter parking enforcement, temporary diversions) and long-term changes like road widening and redesigning junction geometry. The message from officials and residents is unanimous: unless firm action is taken swiftly, the traffic nightmare will only get worse.
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