Traffic cops make a U-turn on Kondhwa one-way norm

Under pressure from the residents of Meethanagar in Kondhwa, the police have rolled back the one-way arrangement they had implemented last year to ease traffic.

From Day One, the residents were unhappy with the one-way arrangement. Though the aim of the move was to reduce traffic congestion, the police had faced challenges to enforce the new system.

As per the system, vehicles coming from Kondhwa road would have to turn right to pass via Ashoka Mews and Hemant Karkare chowk to reach their respective destinations. On the other hand, vehicles coming from Kakade vasti, Jawahar Ganj and Kumar Prithvi would have to proceed straight through Karkare chowk and behind Sheetal petrol pump and take a right turn to reach Kondhwa road.

The system did wonders as the snarls almost vanished for a few months. But after the police’s focus shifted towards other duties, the oneway arrangement became a two-way system and violation of norms became rampant and congestion again became the order of the day.

The residents had time and again sought repeal of the one-way arrangement, claiming that the system was an inconvenience. They wanted a ban on the plying of heavy vehicles during peak hours to resolve the traffic chaos in the densely populated Meethanagar area and its suburbs.

Inspector Chandrakant Nimbalkar (in-charge of Kondhwa traffic police) said, “Traffic police and PMC officials had jointly inspected the one-way system following complaints that it should be rolled back. We found that there was no problem in the plan. But the residents continued with the two-way driving. The inspection revealed that many school buses were using the lane outside Ashoka Mews for two-way movement. The bus drivers were avoiding the lane next to Sheetal petrol pump because they faced extreme difficulties in taking turn on the Kondhwa road.”

He added, “We found that the flow of two- and fourwheelers was more than other vehicles. We have penalised the violators and deployed policemen to bring in the change. However, the residents were against the change. I finally submitted a report in April to my superiors, suggesting roll back of the one-way plan. It was considered.”