Pune: Motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, regularly flout traffic rules by driving on the wrong side at an already busy Golibar Maidan junction, raising serious safety concerns.The traffic police department, with the help of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), recently constructed a median at the junction to channelise traffic coming from Swargate towards MG Road.At present, motorists coming from the Swargate side are prohibited from taking a right at the junction, as such a turn is made at the front of vehicles travelling from the Solapur highway towards Swargate and from Kondhwa to MG Road. But this does not happen.Several motorists, including autorickshaws and motorcycle riders, have been rampantly flouting traffic norms and taking the wrong side from a point near the gate of the Cantonment General Hospital, where the median begins, to reach the main junction.They then come directly into the path of vehicles coming from the Solapur highway and Kondhwa. This creates the junction, a potentially dangerous point.Sachin Mathurawala, the nominated member of the PCB, said, “Many violators do not pay heed to the safety of other motorists. This has been perilous. The traffic police should deploy their staff at the junction to prevent such a practice for the safety of all.”“This has been extremely dangerous as we see the chances of fatal accidents at the junction. This needed to be monitored carefully by the police,” said Vijay Chavan, officiating superintendent engineer of the Pune Cantonment Board.Cantonment officials said they have been witnessing road-rage incidents and altercations between motorists almost every day after the traffic movement changed.“The median has clearly demarcated both lanes and prevents vehicles from entering the carriageway meant for vehicles coming on the opposite lane. But, some motorists resort to wrong side driving anyway,” said a cantonment official.The Golibar Maidan junction has remained a major congestion point as traffic from three directions converges here before dispersing towards different parts of the city. As a result, traffic at this junction has spilt over to the Swargate, Pool Gate and Defence Accounts junctions.The traffic police experiment of allowing a right turn at the Golibar Junction failed nearly two years ago because the arrangement caused congestion throughout the day.However, the current arrangement also forces many motorists to take a detour if they are travelling from Swargate to Kondhwa.“The problem for Kondhwa-bound travellers was that they have to take a detour of almost three kilometres to get to the Kondhwa road. A right turn at the junction could have prevented wrong side driving. Since people get stuck in traffic because of the detour, many prefer to take the risk of driving on the wrong side. The traffic department needed to examine this issue properly,” said Sadiq Shaikh, a regular road user.Sangeeta Jadhav, inspector with the Wanowarie traffic division, acknowledged the problem and said two-wheeler riders heading towards Kondhwa were frequently found driving on the wrong side.“It has been a major concern for us, as it can result in fatal accidents. We have been taking action against violators regularly,” she said.The traffic police have now decided to close the median gap in front of the Cantonment General Hospital to prevent motorists from entering the wrong carriageway.“The continuous median stretch from the Dhobi Ghat junction will ensure smoother movement of vehicles on both sides of the road,” Jadhav said, adding that the people need to be careful about the safety of their own and others.
