Pune: Citizens in various parts of the city, including Swargate, Kothrud, and Sinhagad Road, faced severe traffic congestion on Thursday (August 1) and Wednesday (July 31) evening.

Lokshahir Anna Bhau Sathe birth anniversary celebrations and events in Swargate-Saras Baug area led to massive traffic congestions in the area. Traffic spilled over to other parts of the city as well.

Heavy rains in the city have caused large potholes on most roads. Long queues of vehicles caused slow-moving traffic on Swargate and Sinhagad Road.

Yerawada and the airport area also experienced traffic jams in the evening. Potholes in the roads of Mundhwa and Keshav Nagar added to the woes of motorists struggling to navigate through the traffic.

Increased water release from the Khadakwasla Dam into the Mutha River flooded Bhide Bridge and the riverside road in the Deccan area on Wednesday, leading to their closure.

This resulted in traffic congestion on Jangli Maharaj Road and the internal roads of Peth areas. Citizens have demanded that the municipal corporation and traffic police address the traffic congestion promptly.

Impact of Signal Failures on Traffic

Some major road signals in the city have been non-functional for the past two days, exacerbating the traffic situation. Traffic police reported that vehicles queued up for half a kilometer to a kilometer on some roads, prompting them to manually manage the traffic flow by switching off the signals.

Reasons for Traffic Congestion from Kinara Chowk to Chandani Chowk:

• Parking near Vanaz Metro Station

• Parking of goods vehicles and private passenger vehicles

• Congestion at Anna Bhau Sathe Chowk Bus Station when more than two buses arrive simultaneously

• Parking of vehicles undergoing repairs near Paramhans Nagar Signal Chowk and City Hospital

• Congestion due to vehicles turning towards Vanaz near DP Road and the CNG Pump

• Blockages caused by vehicles moving from Shringeri Math Road to Paud Road

554 Potholes on City Roads

Traffic police inspected city roads and found 554 potholes in 317 junctions. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has instructed the municipal administration to repair these potholes. However, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohidas Pawar mentioned that repairs are delayed due to ongoing rains. He added that potholes have worsened due to the rains, leading to slower traffic. Traffic is being manually managed by switching off signals when long queues form.