Pune: Vimannagar residents alleged that traffic rule violations such as wrong-side driving, illegal parking and signal jumping have led to frequent traffic congestion and demanded increased police deployment.Many residents said the area has witnessed persistent traffic snarls over the past several days, especially at key junctions such as Kailas Supermarket Chowk and Datta Mandir Chowk experiencing heavy evening congestion.They further said traffic rules are being rampantly violated because motorists have no fear of police action. Binod P, another resident, said violations of traffic rules have become rampant. “On average, around 100 vehicles violate one-way rule every 30 minutes. I have counted them myself. Many of these riders were speeding, increasing chances of serious accidents,” he said.He added that until about a month ago, a police officer was regularly stationed to curb one-way violations, but residents have not seen traffic police personnel or wardens at junctions in recent weeks. He highlighted the lack of adequate signboards indicating one-way restrictions, stating that a clearer signage from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and traffic police was needed.Anita Hanumante, a Vimannagar resident, said the locality has been facing traffic issues during peak hours for a long time, but congestion has intensified over the last four to five days.“I don’t know the exact reason for these recent jams, but one-way roads are being used as two-way stretches. There has hardly been any presence of traffic police personnel. Additionally, motorists have no fear or discipline while driving on the wrong side,” she said.Leena Karia, a Vimannagar resident, urged authorities to deploy more traffic police personnel in Vimannagar. “There were an incredibly high number of wrong-side driving incidents, erroneous parking and signal jumping. All of this pushes up both travel time and congestion on the roads,” she said.Residents said stricter enforcement of traffic rules, better signage and a visible police presence at major junctions during peak hours could help improve traffic flow and reduce the risk of accidents.Sangita Jadhav, an inspector at Vimannagar traffic division, said, “On Friday, congestion was triggered after a heavy vehicle broke down near ABC Farms, blocking traffic. As a result, traffic on the Airport Road stretch was affected, with the backlog extending to Kalyani Nagar, Ramwadi and surrounding areas. We have been coordinating with the Koregaon Park and Mundhwa traffic divisions to clear the situation.”She added, “The traffic congestion witnessed over the past three to four days has largely been due to rainfall. During showers, more people opt to travel in four-wheelers instead of two-wheelers, increasing the number of such vehicles on the road and leading to slower traffic movement. We are working to resolve the issue.”
