Traffic dept, PMC to install 100 booths

The traffic department along with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will install 100 booths to check traffic congestion on various major and internal roads in the city. The traffic department has reasoned that the booths will have policemen present at those important roads, junctions and streets in the city which have heavy traffic but have been left unmanned due to a lack of planning and surveillance by the city traffic branch.

Rahul Shrirame, DCP (traffic), said, “The traffic police on duty face summer heat, rainy season and cold weather conditions which affects their health. Traffic regulation would be much easy and it will give the policemen the necessary comfort. Currently, we have ten such booths in our possession.”

However, the PMC decision has received in-house opposition from the anti-encroachment department which stated that the civic body has not taken permission to install the booths and their positioning on public properties would amount to encroachment.

Madhav Jagtap, head of PMC anti-encroachment department, said, “It is inappropriate to install the booths in public places and it amounts to encroachment. Prior permission has not been taken for the same.”

Saleem Mulla, a social activist, has welcomed the move and said, “It shows that the government bodies are ready to implement new ideas aimed at reforming the lives of traffic policemen which will also bring about decongestion in the city through timely and effective traffic policing.”