Special Correspondent
Pune: With 30 lakh vehicles on the road daily, Pune has emerged as the third slowest city in India in terms of traffic movement. It takes 23 minutes and 22 seconds to cover just 10 km in the city, meaning that in an hour, vehicles can travel only 18.50 km. Despite this, Pune police claim that traffic speed has improved.
A TomTom study analyzing 509 cities worldwide with populations exceeding 1 million found that Pune’s traffic speed is slightly better than Kolkata and Bengaluru by about 1.5 minutes. Pune has the highest number of two-wheelers among Indian cities, with 72 lakh registered vehicles in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad combined, and 30 lakh vehicles plying the roads daily. The city has 2,200 km of roads, which struggle to accommodate the growing vehicular load.
Several factors contribute to Pune’s traffic congestion, including potholes, roadworks, heavy vehicle flow, festivals, and special events. Unavoidable factors like vehicle breakdowns, accidents, VIP movement, and malfunctioning traffic signals further worsen the situation.
To tackle this, the traffic police have implemented various measures since September 2024, such as:
Engineering changes in traffic management
Scientific vehicle count analysis to regulate right and left turns
Removing bottlenecks
Relocating PMPML bus stops, private bus stations, and autorickshaw stands
Claims of Improved Traffic Flow
In 2023, Pune’s average vehicle speed was 18 km/h, whereas in 2024, it increased slightly to 18.50 km/h, with the average travel time dropping to 33 minutes and 22 seconds per 10 km. Pune police also claim that traffic congestion decreased by 21% from December 2023 to December 2024 and that speed on major roads improved by 10.44%, reducing congestion in key areas by 53%.
Traffic Police’s Efforts
During a press conference, Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil, Traffic Deputy Commissioner Amol Zhende, Assistant Commissioner Nandini Vaghyani, and Police Inspector Sunil Gawli highlighted the steps taken:
Traffic flow analysis on 265 km of roads
Modifying right/left turns based on vehicle count
Relocating major traffic obstructions like PMPML stops and autorickshaw stands
The police also identified major causes of congestion, including excessive vehicle flow, driver errors, vehicle breakdowns, and lack of police presence at key points. Notably, in just three months, 114 vehicle breakdowns led to severe congestion in various areas.
While Pune continues to grapple with heavy traffic, authorities maintain that recent interventions have yielded improvements. However, citizens may feel otherwise as congestion remains a daily struggle.
