Bavdhan residents protest traffic issues with human chain

Residents of Bavdhan, a neighborhood in Pune, are taking action to address traffic problems in their area. More than 30 residents formed a human chain along the Pune-Bengaluru highway. They want to stop drivers from making U-turns on a ramp that leads to a service road. This ramp, which was reopened by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has become a problem. Many drivers ignore traffic ahead and use the ramp incorrectly. This creates chaos and slows traffic down significantly. "This causes utter chaos and slows down traffic considerably," said Dushyant Bhatia from the Bavdhan Citizens Forum (BCF). The residents previously closed the ramp themselves, but it was reopened recently. Bhatia explained that allowing vehicles to use the ramp this way leads to traffic jams on the service road, according to both two- and four-wheeled vehicles. Residents are now reaching out to NHAI and local traffic police for help. They believe a simple solution would be to extend the fencing on the ramp. This would prevent drivers from taking U-turns. Until then, BCF members plan to continue their protests by forming the human chain to block drivers. Some drivers have expressed their support, thanking residents as they often got stuck in traffic because of the U-turns. Gopal Iyengar, another BCF member, noted there was no reason to reopen the ramp when a nearby entrance is available for the service road. Ankit Yadav, a deputy manager at NHAI, acknowledged the residents' concerns. He stated he would investigate the situation. If necessary, they would consult with their technical team and consider closing the ramp again.