Pune: Pune grapples with a surge in road accidents, fueled by an exploding vehicle population and persistent traffic congestion. The city clocked a worrying 1,231 accidents in the past year, claiming 334 lives – an average of one person succumbing to an accident every day. Compared to 2022, the number of accidents soared by 359.
Key drivers of the surge:
- Unrelenting influx of vehicles: Pune witnesses a daily influx of hundreds of vehicles, creating a gridlock that spills over onto peripheral roads. Drivers, desperate to escape the snarl, often push speeds on expressways leading into the city, contributing to a disproportionate number of accidents on the Pune-Solapur and Pune-Nagar highways.
- Pedestrian and two-wheeler vulnerabilities: Despite the chaos in central areas, the accident rate there is oddly lower. Experts attribute this to slower speeds necessitated by narrow and congested streets. However, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders across the city remain particularly vulnerable, accounting for the highest number of accident casualties.
Crackdown on violations:
- In an attempt to curb the trend, the traffic police have launched a crackdown on traffic rule violations. Over the past year, they towed away a staggering 2.66 lakh vehicles illegally parked and obstructing traffic, primarily two-wheelers. Fines amounting to a whopping ₹15.14 crore were levied. Additionally, CCTV cameras caught 4.28 lakh violators, resulting in fines of ₹36.83 crore. Drivers caught using handheld devices faced fines of ₹26.28 crore. In total, 10.33 lakh traffic violations were penalized with ₹78.26 crore in fines.