The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), a dedicated lane system on roads reserved for buses, could be soon opened to all vehicles in Pune to ease traffic congestion.
The civic administration, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), is mulling over it as the city has been witnessing worsening traffic chaos in the city over the past few months.
The suggestion has come from the city police. The ongoing works pertaining to BRTS, Metro rail, flyovers and others have narrowed the carriage width of the existing roads. Moreover, the road conditions have deteriorated during the monsoon season leading to serious chaotic traffic movement on almost all city roads, officials said.
Public transport service provider Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML), which caters to the cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has dedicated BRTS lanes for its bus services. To ease the present traffic woes, PMPML has suggested allowing only state-run buses, school vehicles, and ambulances in the BRTS lanes.
The PMC has developed BRTS on, a few main roads. Besides, it is also constructing flyovers, underpasses, subways and grade separators at certain places. The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (Maha-Metro) is constructing two corridors of the Pune Metro Rail while the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is one route mainly from the centre of the road. Also, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is constructing a flyover at Chandni Chowk and widening the road from Navale bridge to Katraj junction.
The PMC, after being criticised for the traffic chaos, urged the city police to ban heavy vehicles in the city. “The immediate solution to traffic chaos is to increase traffic management and ban heavy vehicles in the city as they add to the existing problems,” said a civic body officer.
The PMC would also take up infrastructure changes for improving the situation, he said.
The traffic in the city is mainly managed by the city police while the civic body provides the infrastructure support.
NCP legislator from Vadgaon Sheri Sunil Tingre urged the PMC to open the BRTS lanes for all vehicles. “The Ahmednagar road in Vadgaon Sheri assembly constituency is facing serious traffic issues. The Pune Metro rail work is also underway. It is necessary to open the BRTS lanes for all vehicles and all such BRTS in the city should be suspended,” he said.
The PMC is planning to hold a meeting of all stakeholders to discuss the issue, said the PMC officer.
