Pune traffic study to examine roads, signals, Metro and PMPML coordination

The Indian Institute of Management Mumbai will conduct a comprehensive study of Pune’s transport system and metropolitan region to identify the causes of traffic congestion and recommend long-term solutions.

Union minister of state for cooperation and civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol, who represents Pune in the Lok Sabha, approached the institute to examine the city’s transport infrastructure as an integrated system rather than a collection of separate projects.

Preliminary discussions have already taken place between IIM Mumbai experts and officials from various departments in Pune to determine the scope of the study and identify major transport-related challenges, reported The Indian Express.

The assessment will cover congestion on major roads, traffic signals and traffic-management systems, coordination between the Metro and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), and the long-term implications of population growth and increasing vehicle numbers.

According to figures cited by Mohol, Pune’s metropolitan region has a population of around one crore, which is expected to double over the next three decades.

The number of registered vehicles in the city has increased from 52 lakh in 2018 to 81 lakh in 2026, with more than 1,300 additional vehicles being registered daily.

The increase in vehicles has placed growing pressure on the city’s road network, while congestion continues to affect travel times and daily commuting.

The study is expected to examine how major roads, congested junctions, signal systems, public transport, the Metro network and the proposed ring road can be planned together.

Existing measures include improvements to traffic-signal coordination and the use of artificial intelligence for traffic analysis. The proposed study is intended to complement these interventions by looking at the wider transport system and its future requirements.

IIM Mumbai’s work will focus on identifying infrastructure gaps and assessing how existing transport facilities can be used more efficiently.

No final recommendations, project budget or implementation timetable has been announced. The next step is to determine the study’s scope and develop recommendations for consideration by the relevant authorities.