If you drive a truck, a dumper or a bus from Chandni Chowk towards Kothrud, the direct road down Paud Road is now closed to you. Pune traffic police have barred heavy vehicles, MSRTC buses and private passenger buses from that stretch while metro construction between Vanaz and Chandni Chowk takes up part of the carriageway. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Dr Sandeep Bhajibhakre issued the order on Tuesday, October 27, Pune Pulse reported.
The restriction covers dumpers, concrete mixers and goods vehicles as well as passenger buses, according to Punekar News. Cars, two-wheelers and autos do not appear in the banned list. Police have put up a height barrier opposite Prathamesh Elite Society to physically stop tall vehicles from entering the slope.
A steep descent with barricades on both sides
The road from Chandni Chowk to Kothrud Depot drops sharply and has little width to spare. Metro work on the Vanaz to Chandni Chowk extension has added metal barricades along both sides of the divider, squeezing the lanes further. A loaded truck or a bus that stalls or brakes hard on that gradient would block the only lanes left, and the police have cited both congestion and accident risk as their reasons, Sakal reported.
Kothrud’s road network has been under pressure from several projects at once. Residents along the planned development-plan road have been fighting the loss of trees, as we reported in September, and the metro extension now brings construction onto Paud Road itself.
The Warje detour for buses and trucks
Barred vehicles must leave Chandni Chowk through Dukkar Khind, continue to Warje Junction, then turn in via Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk and Vanadevi Chowk to reach Karve Road. From there, traffic heading for Kothrud or Paud Phata rejoins the city grid.
- Bus passengers: ST and private buses entering the city from the Chandni Chowk side will take the longer Warje route, so allow extra time.
- Transporters and builders: deliveries of concrete and construction material to Kothrud sites will need to be routed through Warje.
- Warje and Karve Road residents: expect more heavy traffic past Ambedkar Chowk and Vanadevi Chowk while the order is in force.
The police have called the ban temporary but have not given an end date. They have invited written suggestions and objections from citizens before a final order, so residents and transport operators who find the detour unworkable can file them with the traffic branch.
Sources: Pune Pulse, Punekar News, Sakal
This report was written with AI assistance from the publicly reported sources linked here; each fact was cross-checked against at least two of them.