The Times of India                08.10.2013

Pune Municipal Corporation to develop bus bays to curb traffic congestion

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has agreed to take up the work of developing bus bays, which will help in ensuring that the PMPML buses halt near bus stops.

The issue was discussed at the traffic advisory committee meeting held at the police commissionerate on Monday with an aim to reduce traffic congestion whenever buses halt in the middle of the road.

It was decided in the meeting that in the first phase, about 500 bus stops will be identified where the bays will be created. Wherever it is not possible to create bus bays, the PMC will paint yellow boxes near bus stops.

Joint commissioner of police, Sanjeevkumar Singhal, who presided over the meeting said, that the traffic police should suggest locations at which bus bays can be developed. Deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Vishwas Pandhre, said the traffic police would provide the list of locations.

Civic body officials present at the meeting said that the works would be completed by the end of this year.

Citizens' groups, including PMP Pravasi Manch, Pedestrians First, Parisar and Save Pune Traffic Movement have for long been demanding that if bus bays are created or yellow boxes are painted on the roads, it will help in streamlining traffic.

Jugal Rathi of PMP Pravasi Manch said painting yellow boxes and putting up no-parking sign boards up to 15 metres on either side of the bus stops should be done on priority basis. Rathi said that although there are over 4,000 bus stops, bus bays or yellow boxes can be developed only at select bus stops.

He said that major bus terminals, including the one at PMC Bhavan, are the major traffic hazards as there are no facilities for the passengers and parking the buses. "There have been several fatal accidents at these terminals. Buses are parked in a haphazard manner which causes traffic congestion on the main arterial roads. Planning these bus terminals should be done by involving PMPML, the municipal corporation and the traffic police," he said.

Meanwhile, PMPML officials admitted that the number of breakdowns of buses has increased this year. The officials said that they are taking measures to prevent such cases. "Breakdown of buses on roads not only causes traffic congestion, but also increases hardships for the passengers," Rathi said.