Pune Residents Live in Fear as Highway Service Road Turns Deadly
For the families residing in Zinnea Cooperative Housing Society, located near Chandni Chowk along the bustling Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway, the simple act of entering or leaving their homes has transformed into a perilous ordeal. The society, equipped with only one functional gate that opens directly onto the highway service road, has become a hotspot for accidents due to unchecked speeding vehicles. Despite persistent appeals to government authorities over nearly two years, their demand for basic safety measures like speed breakers remains unaddressed, creating an environment of constant anxiety.
Infrastructure Changes Exacerbate Danger
The situation deteriorated significantly after the inauguration of the Chandni Chowk flyover in August 2023. While the flyover streamlined main traffic flow, it inadvertently turned the service road into a high-speed corridor for heavy vehicles, including cement mixers, trailers, earth movers, and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) buses. The service lane, running straight from Bavdhan to Chandni Chowk, now allows vehicles of all sizes to accelerate without hindrance, leading to a surge in collisions.
Society secretary Mangesh Narkhedkar revealed that infrastructure work by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) near one of their gates rendered it unusable, creating a huge dip in the road. "We have only one accessible gate for entry and exit, but because of speeding vehicles, it has become stressful to leave or enter our residential complex," he stated. Narkhedkar emphasized that most commuters are unaware the service road is a two-way stretch, leading to reckless speeding from Bavdhan towards Kothrud without fear of oncoming traffic.
Residents Share Harrowing Experiences
The human cost of this negligence is starkly illustrated by personal accounts. Adityapratap Singh, a software developer and society resident, met with a serious accident in August 2025 while riding his two-wheeler. "A rickshaw came speeding from the wrong side. We had a head-on collision. I hurt my forearm and needed seven stitches. I am lucky that I missed a fatal accident by inches," Singh recounted, adding that such close calls continue for him and other residents.
Safety concerns extend particularly to vulnerable groups. "The safety of senior citizens or children who travel by themselves is another major worry," noted Hemant Paranjpe, a retired chemical engineer and long-time resident. He highlighted that inadequate signage—small, inconveniently placed signboards installed last year—fails to effectively warn drivers about the two-way traffic.
Authorities' Inaction and Bureaucratic Hurdles
Despite multiple site visits by officials from NHAI, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and traffic police last year, no concrete action has been taken. Narkhedkar recently registered an online complaint on the PMC website on January 6, only to have it rejected the next day by a junior engineer from the road department, citing "long-term work" that would proceed only when funds become available.
Deputy engineer Santosh Gaikwad from the Kothrud-Bavdhan ward office acknowledged the jurisdictional confusion, stating, "Responsibilities were transferred to the ward office just last month. We will start by finding out if the service road is under PMC or NHAI. We might also need a new NOC from the traffic police."
Kishor Bharekar, a contractor with NHAI, explained further complications: "The civic body has not yet accepted the handover of the service road. The traffic police suggested rumbler strips or speed breakers, but for speed breakers, we need an NOC from both police and NHAI." He noted concerns that speed breakers might cause two-wheelers to topple, suggesting rumbler strips as a preliminary measure.
Growing Frustration and Urgent Appeals
Residents' frustration is mounting as bureaucratic delays persist. Paranjpe voiced the collective anxiety: "How many more applications should we submit? On some days, streetlights also do not function, rendering this stretch even deadlier. Speed breakers are the only solution." He issued a dire warning: "There have already been many accidents here, and unless authorities are waiting for a major mishap or loss of life, they must act urgently."
The chaos is compounded by a bus stop opposite the society gate, adding to the traffic confusion. With each passing day, the residents of Zinnea Society continue to navigate a dangerous gauntlet, their pleas for safety echoing unheard in the corridors of power, while the threat of tragedy looms ever larger on the service road they must cross daily.
