Ar. Pushkar Kanvinde is an Architect and Urban Designer and an academician. He is the Chairman of Pune Centre of Institute of Urban Designers India and heads the BKPS College of Architecture, Pune. He is actively involved in issues related to City Development, Urban Transport in Pune City. Traffic, Transportation and commuting in Pune City are complex issues now that need a multi pronged and multi-modal approach. PMC has through an internationally reputed consultant firm prepared a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Pune City which proposes a multi-modal approach involving all different modes of transportation possible.
METRO issues
The Pune metro is being projected as a ‘magic wand’ that will resolve the traffic and transport issues of Pune which is not true. The way it is planned today, the network lacks coordination with other modes as expected in the CMP. Designed as a stand alone network it is above or parallel to existing Bus and BRTS and hence will compete and duplicate the system. Inconvenient locations of stations are an issue. Its reach to many nodes and dormitory areas leaves much to be desired. Therefore the efficacy of the system is questionable.
Consider the two routes that are planned for first two phases. The Vanaz-Ramwadi route will serve very few commuters from Paud road and Nagar road since dormitory areas like Bavdhan, Chandan nagar and Karvenagar remain unserved.The DMRC report expects critical ridership only by 2031. The elevated nature of the route has its own issues. Shivajinagar Station which is major commuting hub and its station near Pune Railway Station will not be easily reachable. Implementation at Deccan Gymkhana, Engg.
College hostels requiring acquiring and demolishing many existing buildings will be a challenge. So also crossing of existing tracks near Sangam bridge and Pune railway station where permission from Railways are extremely hard to come.
The second route, Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate runs over the Mumbai Pune road, parallel to existing Railway line and directly above BRTS that is being executed. These will compete amongst each other.
On both these routes during the construction phase effective road width of some important arteries like J. M. Road, Karve Road, Dr. Ambedkar Road, Bund garden road will be reduced to half. It will be a traffic
nightmare on these arteries which experience traffic jams during non-peak hours even today for the duration of construction. Cutting of Huge grown trees would an environmentally detrimental outcome.
The century old image of the City will be affected badly. The proposal to provide 4 times FSI on 1 km wide belt on either sides of metro spells disaster. The density of traffic and people on street in all these areas is already very high. 4 times more floor space will simply add 4 times population. There will be no space left even to walk. Further, most of these areas fall into high capital cost category and the buyers will therefore be necessarily from HIG with very high family vehicle ownership. Also the cost of providing civic amenities and services to this area will negate the earning which is gained through sale of FSI.
All these are effects of lack of vision and comprehensive approach to resolving transport problems.
The way ahead
A city of multi-modal nature like Pune needs solution using multiple modes of transport complementing each other and creating a wide and accessible network. Ideally Metro with high capacity and speed
should be its trunk line that feeds /receives from BRTS that form semi-trunk lines and Bus system forms collector and distributor network. Auto Rickshaw and personalized modes can also be part of collector distributor network.
The proposed metro route must also touch all the Work Districts and major transit nodes of Pune and also extend to suburban work centres like MIDCs at Talegaon, Chakan, Ranjangaon, etc.
The metro routes should run as
A. Bawdhan – Paud Road – Karve nagar - Deccan- Shivajinagar station - Pune Railway Station - Bund Garden – Ramwadi – Kharadi – Wagholi. Later extended to Lonikand- Shikrapur- Ranjangaon MIDC
A1. Branch from Bawdhan to Hinjewadi – Aundh to connect to Route B
A2. Branch from Bavdhan to Lavale and Pirangut.
A3. Branch from Ramwadi to Viman nagar and Airport.
A4. Branch from Kharadi to go to Hadapsar, to join B1.
B. Chakan – Talawade – Chikhali - Chinchwad - Aundh- Shivajinagar - Mandai – Swargate – Bibwewadi – Dhankawadi - Katraj. Later extended to proposed New Airport from Chakan on the north and Narhe Ambegaon, Khadakwasla on South.
B1. Branch from Shivajinagar to Cantoment- Hadapsar – Phursungi. Later to be extended to Saswad.
B2. Branch from Cantonment extended to Kondwa, Undri, Pisoli.
Noted By:-
Ar. Pushkar Kanvinde
Ar. Pushkar Kanvinde is an Architect and Urban Designer and an academician. He is the Chairman of Pune Centre of Institute of Urban Designers India and heads the BKPS College of Architecture, Pune. He is actively involved in issues related to City Development, Urban Transport in Pune City.
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