“In major metropolitan areas, the average travel speed should be around 30 kmph. However, in Pune, the current average is just 19 kmph, and during peak hours it falls further to 12 kmph,” CM Fadnavis said
CM Fadnavis stated that there was an urgent need for infrastructure upgrades. Representational Pic/File
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that the state government is devising a long-term strategy to tackle severe traffic congestion in Pune city, where average travel speeds have reportedly dropped to as low as 12 kmph in some areas, reported the PTI.
Speaking to the media after reviewing the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Pune and the surrounding metropolitan region, CM Fadnavis stated that there was an urgent need for infrastructure upgrades to address the city’s growing traffic bottlenecks.
“In major metropolitan areas, the average travel speed should be around 30 kmph. However, in Pune, the current average is just 19 kmph, and during peak hours it falls further to 12 kmph,” CM Fadnavis said.
“We have identified around 35 major traffic choke points and approved interventions that could help raise the average speed to the desired level,” he added.
According to the PTI, CM Fadnavis also pointed out that only 6 per cent of land in Pune’s core areas is allocated for roads, resulting in narrow streets and poor traffic dispersal. To address this, CM Fadnavis has directed the Pune Municipal Commissioner (PMC) to plan an underground tunnel network to help decongest critical parts of the city.
The Comprehensive Mobility Plan is a 30-year roadmap aimed at transforming urban mobility in Pune through a phased approach. The first phase is estimated to cost Rs 6,500 crore, while the total investment across three decades could reach Rs 1.2 lakh crore, the news agency reported.
A key objective of the plan is to boost public transport usage -- initially to 30 per cent, with a long-term goal of reaching 50 per cent. The vision also includes ensuring that public transport is accessible within 500 metres for every resident.
Other major components of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan include expanding the road network, constructing a ring road, and developing tunnel systems to ease urban congestion in Pune.
CM Fadnavis added that both the Pune Municipal Corporation and the city’s Police Commissioner gave detailed presentations on the plan, and several short-term traffic solutions were discussed as well, the PTI reported.
(with PTI inputs)
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