Traffic delays cost firms in IT Park Rs 25cr/day: Survey

Pimpri Chinchwad: The companies operating out of the Rajiv Gandhi IT Park in Hinjewadi suffer a loss of Rs 25 crore per day due to the traffic delays faced by their employees.
This was revealed in a recent study conducted by the Hinjewadi Industries Association (HIA). “To save the time and the money, there should be multiple entry roads and a six-lane road leading to the IT Park,” HIA president Satish Pai told TOI on Wednesday.

HIA has been regularly holding meetings with guardian minister Girish Bapat, district collector Saurabh Rao, PMRDA, MIDC officials, public works department, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations to solve the prevailing traffic mess in the Hinjewadi area.

“There was a dedicated bus lane from Wakad flyover to the IT Park area, which was inaugurated last year. However, it was discontinued just three months after its inauguration. This dedicated lane would have reduced the traffic in the area,” the association said.

Roads are being constructed to connect Balewadi-Mhalunge-Mann with Hinjewadi. A six-lane bridge over Mula river is also under construction. “A road is being widened from Phase 1 of Hinjewadi to Phase 3. It will be completed within three months. The PWD is considering a proposal of widening of roads from Sus, Nande-Chande, Balewadi, Mhalunge to 10 metres. The roads are to be widened from Phase 1 to 3, from IT Park to Bhumkar underpass,” HIA regional manager Lt Col Yogesh Joshi (retd) said.

Col Charanjeet Bhogal, chief operating officer, HIA, said under the Pune Project, 56 CCTV cameras had to be installed in the IT Park area at a cost of Rs 7.5 crore. “Surveys have been done for the past seven years. A proposal has been sent to the home department. Funds have to be provided from the home department or the MIDC for the installation of these cameras,” Bhogal said.