PUNE: None of the solutions on the traffic issue of Pune can benefit the entire population of the city, says Deputy Commissioner of Police for Traffic Manoj Patil.

“Our effort is to solve problems of majority of the people,”   said  Patil speaking here at the 136th edition of Vasant Vyakyanmala on Tuesday.

Speaking on 'Traffic problems in Pune and their solutions,' Patil said, “Citizens will have to be more tolerant as the city transforms into a gigantic metropolis which saw almost double the population in the past ten years.” He added that traffic police branch on its own can only give symptomatic solutions and will need cooperation from citizens and other government bodies.”

Patilasked for a full time traffic engineering expert to be appointed for the city in the wake of increasing complexity of the issue. He stressed on  the need for drastic change in mentality of people towards following the rules of traffic. Pointing out that the total area of the city under roads is 6.5 per cent as opposed to world standards of 10 per cent, Patil said concrete steps to bring in positive change in the traffic without costly infrastructural changes.

THE WAY TO SMOOTH TRAFFIC IN THE CITY

- Scientific classification of roads into four categories viz arterial, sub-arterial, connector and local roads, for better traffic flow.

- Well studied heights of the dividers. On roads with very high speed flow, the divider height should stop people from crossing over.

- Unnecessary breaks in the dividers should be closed. Such breaks increase congestion and also result into more accidents.

- Proper positioning of bus stops. No bus stop should lie in 75 m range of  a square junction.

- Instead of signals in the squares, circles should be made whereever possible. This  will reduce the speed and the congestion.

- The concept of reversible lanes, that is changing the direction of lanes depending on the traffic flow on mornings and evenings.

- More than one railway terminals as is the case in Mumbai and Delhi to avoid traffic congestion around railway station.