Who Is Responsible for Our Stress on Pune’s Roads?
Every day, as Punekars, many of us begin our journey to work, college, school, or simply to get from one part of the city to another with a sense of stress.
And surprisingly, that stress is often not because of home or work.
It is because of the commute.
We either find ourselves stuck in endless traffic jams or navigating roads filled with potholes. Sometimes, a journey that should take 30 minutes takes an hour or more. For working professionals, this means reaching office late or getting back home much later than expected. For school and college students, it can mean missing classes or spending precious time stuck on the road.
Whatever your age or profession, you feel the stress.
But who is really responsible?
Is it the civic administration that fails to address potholes promptly, takes too long to complete road repairs, or plans infrastructure without adequately considering the city’s growing needs?
Is it the traffic administration that struggles to manage congestion effectively?
Or is there a larger problem — the way we, as a city, have planned and developed Pune?
Pune was once known for its relatively peaceful roads, manageable traffic and even for being a city where people could happily cycle from one place to another.
But Pune has changed.
The city has experienced tremendous economic growth. Industries have expanded. Educational institutions have grown. Thousands of young people have moved to Pune in search of education and employment. At the same time, our dependence on private vehicles has increased, partly because our public transport system has not always kept pace with the city’s growth.
The result?
More vehicles. More people. More construction. More traffic. But roads and infrastructure that often haven’t kept pace.
Large residential societies and commercial developments continue to come up. New infrastructure is being created. Yet, in many places, smaller roads, inadequate traffic planning, sanitation issues, garbage management and other civic challenges remain.
So, what do we do as citizens?
Do we simply wait, watch and criticise?
Or can we wake up and ask ourselves:
Can we become part of the solution?
Let me share an example.
Many of you who have travelled towards the Symbiosis University campus at Lavale may have experienced the frustration of being stuck in traffic for hours. Some may have struggled to navigate the poor road conditions and potholes — and perhaps even had an unfortunate skid or accident.
And then, suddenly, you enter the Symbiosis campus.
The irritation begins to disappear.
You find smooth roads, beautiful greenery, well-maintained surroundings and infrastructure that creates a completely different experience.
But here is the question:
What about the road outside the campus?
Around 10,000 students study across the Symbiosis campus at Lavale, and thousands of staff members travel to and from the campus every day. For many of them, the poor road conditions and traffic congestion are not occasional inconveniences — they are a daily reality.
Instead of simply criticising the administration, our Engineering and MBA students decided to look for a solution.
After considerable follow-up, they prepared a detailed presentation highlighting the problems and, more importantly, suggesting practical solutions.
They presented their findings to the PMRDA Commissioner.
The response was encouraging.
The Commissioner appreciated several of the students’ suggestions, and some of the recommendations are now being implemented. The hope is that this will lead to faster road repairs and better traffic management around the area.
This experience taught us something important:
Complaining about a problem is easy. Finding a solution is harder — but far more meaningful.
We cannot keep tolerating problems.
But perhaps we also cannot keep blaming everyone else.
As responsible citizens, can each one of us identify the problems we face every day and think about possible solutions?
Can we collect data?
Can we understand the root cause?
Can we engage with the civic authorities constructively?
Can our students, professionals, residents’ associations, businesses and institutions work together to provide practical recommendations rather than just criticism?
Pune is our city.
Its roads are our roads.
Its infrastructure affects all of us.
And therefore, perhaps the question should no longer be:
“Who is responsible?”
Perhaps the better question is:
“What can each one of us do to become part of the solution?”
We shouldn’t have to choose between tolerating problems and blaming authorities.
There is a third option:
Take responsibility. Find solutions. Work with the administration. And help build the Pune we all want to live in.
Because a better Pune will not be created by the administration alone.
It will be created when citizens and administration work together.
So, Punekars — instead of asking only “Who is responsible?”, perhaps it is time to ask:
“What is one problem in Pune that YOU can help solve?”