Flouting traffic rules, they try carving their way out of snarls thereby congesting it more
For the second consecutive day, Puneites had a tough time commuting on the city roads, thanks to the potholes, non-functional traffic signals and the heavy showers.
One could see people stranded in the snarls for hours getting drenched in the rain.
Their desperation to get out of the jam too added to the woes as they flouted traffic rules to make their way out of the congestion.
Besides, the absence of traffic police personnel at busy chowks worsened the situation. While the motorists braved the rains, the traffic cops left the respective chowks and sought refuge at nearby pan stalls. While 19 signals were reported to be non-functional on Monday, 17 signals were defunct on Tuesday.
Moreover, the vehicles parked on the side of the road ate up the carriage width causing more chaos in areas like Karve Road, Jungli Maharaj Road, Fergusson Road, Dandekar Bridge and Jedhe Chowk.
Motorists hassled
Vishal Singh (23), a resident of Karvenagar, said, “I was stuck for more than 30 minutes near Null Stop as the traffic was moving at a snail’s pace. There was not a single traffic cop to manage the chaos.”
Rituja Singh (28), a resident of Kothrud, said, “It took me more than 40 minutes to reach Senapati Bapat Road from my residence. Potholes slowed down the traffic.”
Frustrated with the snarl, sales executive Neha Jain (35) left her vehicle on JM Road. She said, “I was standard in the jam for over 20 minutes. I had a meeting to attend on Law College Road. Hence, I left my two-wheeler and walked the way.”
Cops blame rain
A traffic police officer said, “Apart from the 17 non-functional signals, there were some 24 traffic signals that were partially working.”
Vishwas Pandhare DCP (Traffic) said, “Due to the continuous rains for the past three days the city has witnessed traffic menace in various areas. We had stationed traffic personnel at major junctions to manage the traffic. The potholes added to the woes. We have sent a list to PMC and asked them to get the potholes filled up.”
He added, “Commuters also have to be more responsible while travelling on the road under such circumstances. Instead of barging their way through the congestion, they should follow the traffic rules.”
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