Day after accident, residents call NIBM stretch a ‘nightmare’

The reason, they say, is that an alternate road near Cloud Nine housing society has been shut for repairs for over a month. The NIBM-Ishrat Baug stretch has been in “bad shape for several years”, residents said, adding that their complaints have been falling on deaf ears. Now with additional traffic, driving on this stretch is “nothing short of a nightmare”, they said.

Daljit Goraya, a local, said, “Repair of the alternate road was to have been completed within a month, but it has already been more than two months. Even prior to undertaking repairs, the civic administration did not consider opening an alternate route.”

The road, designed many years ago, falls terribly short, say locals, with a rapidly expanding population and increased number of vehicles. “Heavy vehicles continue to ply on this road, and there have been instances of water tankers too involved in accidents,” Goraya said.

Irresponsible driving, unrestricted movement of large vehicles and inadequate traffic management systems have added to the chaos, he added.

Nawazish Ansari, another local, said the stretch has become an accident-prone route, highly unsafe for commuters as well as locals. “We have been demanding immediate action but in vain. Vehicles and pedestrians face risks made worse by narrow lanes, poorly planned intersections, lack of pedestrian crossings, and insufficient signage.”

The owner of a stationery shop in the area said, “Drivers probably become frustrated and impatient due to traffic congestion during peak hours, leading to rash decisions and impulsive actions. The hazard is further aggravated by lack of routine maintenance, such as pothole repairs and pavement markings, which raises the risk of accidents.”

Inspector Rajendra Shelke, in-charge of Kondhwa Traffic Division, said, “Traffic volume on the NIBM-Ishrat Baug road has multiplied in the last one-and-half months, since repair of the alternate road was taken up. We are dealing with the enormous vehicular flow by deploying more personnel to manage traffic.” Shelke said that as per the deadline set by Pune Municipal Corporation, there are two more months to go for repair of the alternate road.

Also Read

Hidden stories: How a humble eatery serving up South Indian food became a...

Youth shot dead in Pimpri Chinchwad’s Chikhali, probe on

15 EV charging stations operational, more to be set up in Pune, Pimpri Ch...

One dead, three injured as bus sliding back hits six vehicles

“Also, on the stretch where the accident took place on Sunday night, the slope gradient is a huge risk factor. We are writing to PMC to place speed breakers on the slope, as an immediate solution. A long term solution will be discussed with all stakeholders,” he said. When asked about encroachments and the width of the NIBM-Ishrat Baug road, the inspector said, “Encroachments are an issue and stall traffic flow. We have written to PMC, although not about this specific stretch, but about encroachments on the road in our traffic division.”