Daily gridlock between Balewadi Phata and Jupiter Hospital. Locals demand action from PMC. Source: puneripages.in
By Prashant for PuneriPages.in
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck between Balewadi Phata and Jupiter Hospital, engine humming, tempers rising, and a never-ending sea of vehicles around you, then you already know what this article is about. As someone who travels this stretch regularly, let me tell you—it’s not just traffic. It’s frustration, wasted hours, missed deadlines, and a constant reminder that we’re being ignored.
Table of Contents
The Daily Struggle
It’s 6 PM. You’re on Baner Road, hoping to make it home by 6:30. But instead, you reach by 7:45. Why? Because that one stretch, that 2.5 km nightmare between Balewadi Phata and Jupiter Hospital, has become a trap. A routine traffic jam that we, the citizens, have now accepted as our fate. And it’s worse when it rains.
How Did We Even Get Here?
The irony? Balewadi and Baner were once known for being clean, planned, peaceful residential hubs. But now, thanks to unchecked construction, zero foresight, and narrow roads squeezed by illegal parking, it feels like we’re living in a badly planned maze. Each new high-rise or cafe pops up, and instead of celebration, we groan because we know it means more cars and no added infrastructure.
Is Anyone Even Listening?
Residents have raised complaints. Meetings have happened. Promises were made. Yet here we are, still crawling on the same roads, while our blood pressure climbs with every honk. The road-widening project? It’s stuck. Drainage work? Delayed. Smart traffic signals? Still waiting. It makes you wonder—is PMC even paying attention?
What Needs to Be Done (Right Now):
- Finish the road-widening project. No more delays.
- Ban illegal parking. Enforce it strictly.
- Synchronize traffic signals so we aren’t stopping every 50 meters.
- Increase traffic police during peak hours.
- Build a proper drainage system, so roads don’t flood every monsoon.
Let’s Not Accept This as Normal
This is more than just a traffic problem. It’s about how our voices are being sidelined. About how our daily lives are being disrupted. And about how the city we once loved is now stressing us out.
We deserve better. Baner-Balewadi deserves better. Let’s not stay silent anymore. Let’s raise our voices, share our stories, and demand change. If we don’t, who will?
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