The very first day of this two-way plan had seen a lot of confusion among travellers as most of them were not aware of the change in traffic plans. But, police claim they are gradually warming up to the idea.
“After initial chaos, the two-way experiment is now settling in with the commuters and we have got a lot of encouraging feedback. We have also sent a positive report to the head office.
However, if the plan is to be converted into a permanent feature on that part of the road, some additional infrastructure will be required,“ inspector A R Awad, in-charge of the Shivajinagar police station, told Pune Mirror.
A final order to keep the stretch two-way permanently is expected to be issued next week. This is not the first time that the traffic police have tried out a two-way approach in the Deccan area. In the first week of February this year, they had carried out a similar experiment on the stretch of Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road from Natraj Chowk to Balgandharva auditorium. However, it did not work out that well and had to be scrapped ultimately.
Both JM Road and and FC Road had been converted into one-way streets on August 21, 2009. More than six months after the JM Road failure, the traffic police decided to replicate the plan on the Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk to Lalit Mahal Chowk stretch in October. As part of the experiment, temporary barricades were installed on the entire section to provide a lane for vehicles coming from Ambassador Hotel at Model Colony, so that they can take a right turn and use FC Road to go towards the Modern College area.
“At present, we have to deploy at least one constable opposite Lalit Mahal hotel, from where vehicles enter FC Road from the opposite direction.If the two-way plan is to be made permanent, we will have to provide a traffic signal opposite Lalit Mahal hotel for better traffic management. We will also have to provide a permanent divider to segregate the lane from the rest of FC Road,“ stressed Awad.
Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Sarang Awad also seemed upbeat about making this two-way trial a permanent feature. “We have invited suggestions and objections on the experiment and, so far, we have got a very positive feedback from the commuters. It is they who have suggested that the stretch be made two-way on a permanent basis. We will take a final call on this next week,“ he said.
Source : Pune Mirror
