Pune: Wakad Residents Turn Traffic Buddies: A Society-by-Society Drive for Safer Roads

Pune, November 9, 2025: In a groundbreaking community-policing initiative, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police is successfully turning residents into active partners for traffic management, one housing society at a time. The ‘Traffic Buddy’ app awareness drive has now woven its way through Rhythm Society, Western Avenue Akshara, Elementa and Sanskruti Society, reaching its latest stop at Kalpataru Harmony.

The recent awareness session was attended by senior officials including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Senior Police Inspector, and other officers from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate. The event was graced by the special presence of Sachin Londhe and Vivek Devrankar from the Housing Society Federation. The Sanskruti Housing Society was commended for making excellent arrangements for the program, for which the Traffic Department expressed heartfelt gratitude.

Building a Movement, One Session at a Time

This sustained outreach program marks a strategic shift from traditional enforcement to a collaborative, tech-enabled model. By conducting interactive workshops within society premises, the police are demystifying the process of reporting traffic violations and empowering citizens with a direct tool to tackle everyday issues like illegal parking and congestion.

The drive’s success lies in its personalized, hands-on approach. Officials don’t just promote the app; they provide a step-by-step demo, ensuring residents gain the confidence to use it effectively.

“The ‘Traffic Buddy’ initiative is designed to empower citizens to become our partners in managing traffic. This drive to encourage citizen participation is being implemented under the guidance of the Police Commissioner,” said PI Madhukar Thorat of the Wakad Traffic Department. “We urge citizens to report any traffic violations they see through the chatbot. We have already received and acted upon about 700 complaints in Wakad, which proves that public participation is key to a smoother traffic system.”

This sentiment was echoed by DCP Vivek Patil, Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate, who highlighted the long-term vision. “The true potential of ‘Traffic Buddy’ is unlocked when it becomes a habit for residents. Our goal with these repeated, society-specific sessions is to move beyond one-time downloads and foster a community of users who are confident in reporting issues, which directly feeds into our enforcement efficiency.”

Federation Backs Tech-Driven Initiative

Emphasizing the shared responsibility of traffic management, Sachin Londhe of the Housing Society Federation stated, “Traffic management is not solely the responsibility of the police; the participation of every citizen is equally important. Initiatives like Traffic Buddy will strengthen the dialogue between citizens and the traffic department. On behalf of the Federation, we will provide all possible support to such technology-based initiatives and create awareness in more and more societies.”

Resident Voices: From Apprehension to Advocacy

The initiative has been met with overwhelming positivity from residents, who appreciate the transparency and direct access to authorities.

Abhijit Kharad, Secretary of Rhythm Society, Wakad, shared his experience from one of the initial sessions: “Officers provided a step-by-step demo on using the ‘Traffic Buddy’ app to report traffic violations, congestion, and illegal parking. They assured us that for every report, action is taken or its status is updated within 24 hours, creating a transparent system for citizens.”

Pravin Farad, Chairman of Akshara Elementa Society, also praised the program: “The traffic police have started the Traffic Buddy app to improve traffic management. A session was recently organized in our society as well. It was a very good session. People gathered a lot of information on how to register a complaint and how action is taken.”

A Model for Collaborative Governance

With over 700 complaints successfully addressed in the Wakad area alone, the Traffic Buddy drive is building a compelling track record. Backed by both citizen participation and institutional support from the Housing Society Federation, this drive to create safer, less congested neighborhoods through resident partnership is only gaining momentum. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Police has reiterated that these educational workshops remain available to other housing societies in the area.