Pune, Aug 8 (PTI) The average travel speed in Pune city sometimes drops to as low as 12 kmph and the government is working on a long-term plan to increase it by removing bottlenecks, Maharashtra Chief
Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here on Friday.
He was speaking to reporters after an official meeting where the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Pune and the surrounding metropolitan region was reviewed.
The average travel speed in any metropolitan city should be around 30 km per hour. However, in Pune, it is currently 19 kmph, and sometimes drops to 12 kmph, Fadnavis said.
"We have identified interventions to increase the average travel speed to 30 kmph. Approvals were granted for these measures, which, if implemented, could resolve bottlenecks at 35 identified spots in the city," he said.
"In core areas of Pune, only six percent of land is under roads, resulting in narrow roadways. This hampers effective traffic dispersal. I have directed the PMC commissioner to plan a tunnel network to address the traffic issues in such areas," Fadnavis added.
The CMP, with a vision for next 30 years, will have three phases. An estimated Rs 6,500 crore will be required for the first phase while the total outlay for the entire 30-year plan is Rs 1.2 lakh crore, the CM said.
Among other things, it aims to increase the share of public transport use to 30 percent initially, and later to 50 percent. The plan seeks to ensure that public transport is accessible within a 500-metre radius for every citizen, the chief minister said.
Additionally, the plan includes expansion of the road network, development of a ring road, and tunnel networks.
The Pune Municipal Corporation and Police Commissioner also gave presentations on the mobility plan and short-term solutions were also discussed, he said. PTI SPK KRK
