Residents say no to heavy vehicles in Pimpri Chinchwad area

Residents of Nigdi-Pradhikaran area staged a rasta roko agitation near the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Zone A office at Bhel Chowk on Thursday, demanding a ban on heavy vehicles in the area.

Over 200 residents blocked the movement of vehicles for over an hour. The stir was led by local corporators RS Kumar, Raju Misal and Nanda Takwane.

The residents demanded a permanent solution to the traffic problem in the area and said that heavy vehicles were posing a threat to the lives of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.

Kumar warned of intensifying the agitation if the demands of residents are not met immediately. “We have written to the traffic police and PCMC officials several times, but to no avail. The authorities have turned a blind eye to this grave issue,” he said.

The residents withdrew their agitation after the traffic police arrived at the spot and assured them of looking into their demands. They demanded that heavy vehicles ply on the Spine Road passing through sectors 25, 27 and 28.

Nigdi-Pradhikaran is one of the most developed areas in Pimpri-Chinchwad belt under the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority. Nearly eight wards of Akurdi and Nigdi fall in Pradhikaran and a large number of educational institutes, commercial and residential complexes and healthcare centres are located here.

Four-lane internal roads are a prominent feature of the area, but now these roads have become a peril, with several mishaps taking place every day. Residents have to bear the brunt of rash driving, particularly by students.

Mhalsakant, Bhel, Sambhaji and Kachghar are the prime traffic intersections in Pradhikaran. Accidents take place at these places almost every day. Authorities are not streamlining the traffic at these chowks, which are located on important roads used by students and industrial workers.

Although heavy vehicles are banned on the stretch from Khandoba Mandir to Akurdi gaothan and from Mhalsakant Chowk to Akurdi railway station, the ban is often ignored. The chaotic traffic mostly affects schoolchildren, parents and senior citizens.