Chapter II
Development of the Poona City m }
CHAPTER 2
. DEVELOPMENT OF THE POONA CITt :
2.1 INTRODUCTION
It is necessary to study in brief the development of Poona city during the period 1969 to 1980, in order to know importance of ‘bicycle* as a means of local transport (conveyance) has increased. The impact of bicycle on the mobility of population in the Poona city cannot be studied without reference to developments in population, commerce, industry and other social, eco logical, topographical changes in and around the Poona city. After the Panshet Disaster of 19 61 Poona has emerged as the second largest industrial city 4^.
Maharashtra. As a consequence of increasing urbani sation of the surrounding village and semi-urban areas many problems have been created. Such problems are e.g.
1) Problems created by migration of population,
2) Problem of heavy traffic along the important ; : ' roads in and around the Poona city, 3) Population congestion in the central part of the ■' Poona city, 4) Increased frequency of accidents, 5) Inadequancy of the present facility of local public passenger transport (viz. the PMT bus)-
6) Inavailability of parking facilities for the vehicles, and 7) The housing problem. These problems have necessitated new schem.es of roa<^ (32)
maintenance and development and schemes for diverting heavy
traffic from the central part of the city to the outskirts.
New schemes of town planning in which separate routes and
lanes should be provided for cycle-riders are necessary
and new parking and marketing areas must also be earmarked.
Against the background of these developments the role
played by bicycle as the cheapest means of local conveyance
can be logically evaluated.
2.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND s
Under the British Rule, law and order was restored
in Pune and administration was properly established, * . .
Poona became the seasonal capital of the Bombay Presidency.
It was made the head-quarter of the Poona District and
Poona Division. The British established Poona and
Kirkee Cantonments near Poona. During this period of peace a number of educational institutions came up,
roads were improved and railway lines were laid joining
Poona with Bombay, Calcutta and Madras and the population
of Poona rose to over 2 lakhs till 1941 as shown in the
following table (33)
Table 1 5 Table showing at a glance the expansion of Poona City since 1872 - Physical area ' • population and the boundary.
Total Year area Population Boundary ___ (acres)
1872 1,912 90,436 Shankarshet Road to Ambil Odha to the south bound on the v^estern and north ern sides by Mutha on its right bank; on east from Wellesley Road to New Modikhana on Nagzari side.
1881 2,437 99,622 Area bound by Shankarshet Road, Satara Road and Gul Tekdi, Golibar Maidan included.
1890 4,058 1,02,683 Erandawana across Mutha, Bhamburda, Shivajinagar.
1931 4,644 1,63,267 Parwati Gaothan to Mouj^ Hingane boundary.
1935 4,708 1,63,346 Area near the foot of the Chaturshringi Hills.
1941 4,708 2,37,560 No change
Feb. 10,240 4,00,000 Poona City plus Sub\irban 1950 (6,400 area city + (approxi.) 3,840 sxiburban)
(Source % Poona Municipal Corporation - Annual .Administration Report for 1956-57) quoted by Dr. V. S. Patankar in his thesis for Ph.D. - 'Passenger and Goods Transport Business in Poona - (Dec. 1961) . i m
2.3 POPULATION TRENDS AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE POONA CITY AFTER 1950 s
Irt 1730 the population of the Poona City was only
15,000. Under the British Regime in 1818 the population
increased to 1,25,000 as the two areas on the banks of
Mutha were joined by Lakdi Bridge (Sambhaji Bridge).
In 1851 the population declined a little to 73,000, In
1857 the Municipal Corporation was established and in
1860 population was 84,000, In 1869 the Khafakwasla Dam was constructed to increase the water supply. As a result in 187 2 population increased to 90« 436, . In 1881 it increased to 99,622 and in 1884 when Municipal Corpo ration was established for development of (Bhamburda)
Shivaji Nagar Complex and when in 1885 Fergusson College and Mundhwa Paper Mill were established in 1885 and . . when Poona Miraj meter-gauge railway route was constructed population fig\ire remained constant. During the plague epidemic from 1884 to 19 20 importance of Poona declinedi
However, importance of Poona increased later because of^ the following developments - 1) Poona emerged as a capital city of Bombay Province. (1 LAKH) 2) It emerged as a centre for military strategies.
3) Educational facilities were created.
4) Provision of adequate water supply.
5) Moderate and healthy climate.
6) Availability of civic amenities. (35)
After 1930 Erandawana and Shivaji Nagar areas developed and Poona became a permanent place of settlement after retirement.
In 1941 population went upto 3,76,000, During the period from 1939 to 1946; (the war period) following developments took place in the surrounding areas like
1) Wanawadi
2) Khadakwasla
3) Dehuroad - Kirkee Ammunition factories and 4) Talegaon Dabhade offices.
Prom 1947 - establishment of Kirloskar Oil Engines provided impetus to industrial development. In 1950
Poona Municipal Corporation was established. During the period 19 47-50 because of the influx of refugees and establishment of Poona Municipal Corporation the population recorded an increase of 74% over that in
1946.
The present state of industrial development is such that out of 9,233 and 33,942 factories (large small and medium) 6,000 big factories and 17,943 small factories are established in and around Poona and 60% of the total labour force in Bombay (9,13,000 workers)got settled in
Poona. In order to avoid concentration of industries in (36)
Bombay the Government adopted the policy of diverting industrial development to Poona along Bombay-Poona Road.
Availability of electricity, means of communication, favourable climate, establishment of Engineering Colleges and Technological Institutes, M.I.D.C., and development of Roads along Pimpri, Chinchwad, Nasik, Hadapsar,
Sholapur, Akxirdi, Bhosari, Nigadi, Loni-Kalbhor - all these factors made Poona the second largest industrial city in Maharashtra. ,
According to the estimates prepared by the
Regional Planning Board, in 1967, 668 big and small industries occupied 749 hectors of land and employed
53,605 workers. The reconstruction of Poona-Bombay,
Nasik, Agra, Sholapur, Satara and Kolhapur high-ways as per the targets of the 4th Five Year Plan increased the tempo of industrialisation. In the future years to come, it was expected that the suburban areas like Wagholi,
Loni-Kalbhor, Theur, Mundhwa, Uralikanchan, would be the new industrial centres around Pune City and the present trends have justified the forecast,
2.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF DEVELOPMENTS AFTER 19 50 ;
After Independence Poona University was established.
Also the Poona Municipal Corporation and a number of
Central Government institutions were established and (37) industries came up around Poona. The dawn of industriali sation came over Poona in the second quarter of the twentieth century i.e. after 1950. Since 1950 many- industrial establishments developed and many sxiburbs grew up around the town and the population rose to over nine lakhs. A study of statistical information in Tables
( 2 to 7) indicates that the density of population in the Poona City is not uniform. It varied considerably from the core onwards. The core accounts for only 5% of the area and 75% of population. Whereas the rest of the wards with about 95% area account only for 2 5% of the population. The high density of the old core was the result of :
ia) nearness to retail trading area,
b) availability of cheap accomodation.
p ) availability of amenities of life.
m defence and security. (36)
Table 2 : Showing the number of voters in Poona city and in s\±>urban areas (Haveli) for 1970-71
Constituence Number of Voters
Kasba Peth 67/72 3
Bhavani Peth 1,07,447
Shukrawar Peth 1,13,311
Shivaj inagar 1,00,551
Poona Cantonment 87,301
Haveli (Suburb) 1,31,011
TOTAL 6,07,354 (39)
Table 3 ; Showing the extent of migration in Poona City according to the place of B i rth.
Persons - Migrated
1) Within the Poona District 80,000
2) Outside the district but within the State 1,30,000
3) Outside the State 67,000
4) Pakistan 9,000
5) Other places 23,000
Total persons Migrated 3,09,000 (40)
Table 4 ; Showing the various forecast estimate of population in the Poona City including contonment of Poona and Kirkee and the - spread o f the urban area for the period of 1961-1991.
Year Poona City including Rest of the urban area contonment of Poona (including Bhosari, and Kirkee Dapodi, Chinchwad, Pimpri and Lohogon)
1961 1,219 423
1966 8,235 516 / 1971 9,364 584
1976 10,578 699
1981 11,972 789
1986 13,456 926
1991 15,120 1098 (41)
Table 5 : Showing the working population occupationwise in Poona. Other urban areas and in the , normal areas of the Region1 during 1961.
‘ '■>
_ _ _ _ _ Occupational Working population pattern Rural Population Urban areas areas
Agriculture, Mining and Quarrying , 7,400 2, 200 58,100
Construction 58,900 4,900 10,100
Trade & Commerce 33,900 1, 100 1,600
8, 300 800 2,400
Transport and Communication 22,600 600 800
Other Services 87,900 5,200 . 5,300
2,19,000 14,800 78,300
* (Poona including Poona and Kirkee and Contonment) (42)
Table 6 i Showing the number of factories and factory workers in the Poona region in various groups of Industrial Centres,
Group of CentresNo.of Factories N9.of Factory Workers along ^1956 1961 1963 1956 1961 1963
Poona 343 437 575 15785 21060 26085
Dapodi-Chinchwad 8 26 45 964 3341 6666
Poona-Ahmadnagar - - - - ~ -
Poona-Solapur 24 47 34 379 2848 2380
Poona-Bangalore r- - - - -
Other Scattered Centres 1 8 13 89 138 467
Statistics published in Gadgil Committee's Report for Bombay and Poona regions 1970. (43)
Table 7 ; Showing educational facilities in Poona Region (1964-65) in the core area.
Education No,of Schools No. of pupils No. of and educational or Teachers and research institutions Students
Primary 455 1, 26, 534 3,404
Secondary 85 70,584 2,304
Higher 37 18,899 About a thousand and more.
Al 1 these developments as pointed above have created the problem of movement of population in typical directions. In other words, these developments have increased the mobility, needs of population in many ways. (44)
Absence of means of mass communication and absence of tovs'n planning and building regulation and the desire to enjoy the amenities of city life led to the clustering of population in the central (old-core) area. When the core became congested and crowded, the immigrants moved out to other areas. Rising prices of housing accomodation in the old core area led to the disperal of population. Availability of cheap transport facilities (Private and Public)# emergence of business and commercial centres, improvements in the internal commu nication system also led to the dispersal of population during the last 30 years (1950-1980). A second-density zone comprising of the following nearly developed wards - came into existence after town planning schemes were introduced.
a) Shivaji Nagar b) Erandavana
c) Parvati
d) Poona Cantonment and
e) Kirkee Cantonment
Immigrants from the rural areas and the low paid industrial workers cannot afford to pay high rent in the (45)
nearby developed wards and therefore continued to cluster
in the old core and this led to congestion in the old core
area. As Table No. 8 and 9 indicate the number of
incomers to the Poona City has always outnumbered the
nxairiber of outgoers. Density of population has been
considerably influenced by local advantages in respect
of nearness to retail trading area, amenities of citylife,se- oiri-ty and establishment of business and commercial centres, as indicated in Table Nos. 10 and 11.
Table 8 Trend of population during census period ;
Population of Decade ’ % Decade Year Greater Poona Variation Variatio’-
• 1981 ■ 1,82,099
1901 1,64,117 - 17,982 - 9.877
1911 1,72,884 + 8,767 + 5.34
1921 1,98,543 + 25, 659 + 14.84
1931 2,50,187 + 51,644 + 26.62 1941 3,24,286 + 74,099 + 29.62
1951 6,00,351 4- 2,76,065 + 85.13
1961 7,37,426 + 1,37,075 + 22.83
1971 9,96,553 + 1,59,127 + 35.14
1 District Census Hand Book, Poona 1971, The Mah' Census Office.. 2. This includes the city and the two cantonments. (46)
Table 9 Variation in population density of Poona city
Area of the Year Density of popu Variation city in areas lation per acre
1881 1,912 52.12 -
1891 2, 437 48.75 - 6.466%
1901 2,437 49.48 + 1.497%
1911 2,437 51.95 + 4.992%
1921 2,437 60.49 + 16.44%
1931 4, 644 42.66 - 29.48%
1941 4,708 54.70 + 38.22%
1951 4,708 102.10 + 86.66%
1961 10,240 58.35 + 42.85%
1971 18,147 53.01 — 9.16% (47)
Table 10 ; Distribution of commercial establishments and employees in different wards ;
Ward establi- No. of Percen- shments employees tage
Old core of the city 16,641 74.67 19,682 69.69
Shivajinagar 2,021 9.099 4,261 15.09
Erandavana 109 0.4893 65 0.2302 Parvati 585 2.626 308 1.091
Hadapasar 758 3.402 679 2.405
Bund Garden 413 1.854 1,544 5.468
Yeravada 839 3,766 872 3.088
Bopodi-Dapodi 670 3, 007 528 1.869
Aundh-Pashan 246 1,104 309 1.094
22,288 100.00 28,249 100.00
Source ; Collected from Poona Municipal Corporation Office.
Table No. 10 indicates the distribution of Commercial establishments and employees in different wards. It also throws light on a very high density of population in the core area. (69.69%). (48)
Table 11 ; Industries in and around Pune «
Industrial .^ea No. of Industrial units
1. Chinchv/ad-Pimpri, Bhosari Bombay-*-Poona Road ■ 387
2. Hadapsar Industrial Estate, Solapur Road/ Pune 13 70
3. Shankarshet Road, Satara Road and Gultekadi, Pune 9 86
4. Karve Road, Pune 4 and Kothrud, Pune 29 21
5. Pxine-Nagar Road, Pune 14 20
* 6. Different 10 Calities of Pione 43
7. Loni (Kalbhor) 4
431
(Including large. Medium and Small sized units)
Assuming that on an average there is employment of 100 workers in each unit. We can say that about 43, 100 employees vrork in the industrial units. (49)
2.5 HOW ARE MOBILITY NEEDS OR TRAFFIC NEEDS OF POONA PEOPLE MET s
Availability of transport and communication has also increased of population of the old core. Poona though/ a fast developing city^ rates solely, on road transport for inter-urban circulation. The road traffic in the city is handled by a fleet of buses operated by the Municipal
Corporation. For the transport of goods a variety of means are used varying from the age-old hand carts to ox-drawn two wheeled vehicles to the modern trucks and delivery vans.
However, the age-old means of transport and bicycle as a means of passenger transport have not been completely replaced by modern means of transport.
With the increase in population and urban factories there has been a corresponding increase in the volume of traffic and the vehicles carrying them. As the Table
No. 11 and 12 indicate, there has been a continuous increase in the percentage increase in population over
Greater Poona. (50)
Table 12 Population growth in the Poona City
Year Population
1730 15.000 1818 1.25.000
1851 73.000
1860 84.000
1972 90,436 1881 99,622
1941 3.76.000
1951 4.81.000
1961 5,98,785 1968 7,94,052
1971 8,55,674 (9,96,553 including Cantonment & Kirkee'
1972 8.98.000
1973 9.39.000
1974 9,75,000(11,25,000 including Cantonment & Kirkee)
1981 13,11,000(12,80,000 - " - ) 1982 12.25.000
1991 17.96.000 (Projected) *
In response to such an increase in population there is a corresponding increase in the volume of traffic and vehicles. About 2,000 to 3,000 fresh vehicles are on the road every year. (51)
In Poona the traffic week is to be celebrated in the
first week of first and second week of January 1982. The transport wing or the traffic branch consists of 210 policemen and in the next four or five months 150
policemen will be added to the pol^.ce squad. Such a
thing is necessary in view of the increasing number of
vehicles in the Poona City. Mr. S.M.Mushrif, the Asstt.
Commissioner of Traffic Control Department gave the foll
owing figures on the number of vehicles in the Poona city in a press conference. "In Poona, during last twenty
years the number of vehicles has increased three times".
The different types of vehicles are s
Vehicle Number
1. Cycles 3,00,000 2. Scooter and moped 50,656
3. Motor Cycles 28,247
4. Cars 16,734
5. Jeeps 4,433
6. Tractors 4, 362
7. Rikshaws 10,000
8. PMT and other passenger vehicles 9,492
9. Vehicles for goods transport 14,609
10. P'.M.T. buses 206
Source ; Kesari Local newspaper 24-11-1981 (51^
2.6 MOBILITY OF POPULATION AND THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS IN THE POONA CITY
As a result of the heavy traffic of the heavy vehicles like trucks the civilian dwellers in Poona city are suffering from the problem of pollution. When the traffic frequency on the various roads in the Poona city was analysed it was observed that the rush hours of traffic were ; ■
’ From 10.00 am. to 12.30 pm. - Morning hours
From 4.30 pm. to 7.30 pm. - Evening hours
The load of heavy traffic was such that every hour on a particular route the number of vehicles passing was s
74 heavy trucks and buses
375 scooters and motor cycles
' 97 motor-cars
and 675 cycles. Thus 19 vehicles per minute were found plying on roads.
Thus the movement of population on these roads assuming full carrying capacity utilisation was 97 - motor cars X 4 passengers = 388 persons
37 5 motor cycles & scooters X 2 persons = 750 persons and 375 cycles X 1 person = 375 persons
The above figures point out the relative importance of a bicycle in influencing mobility of population. (53)
The cycle as a vehicle covers 33% of the total
traffic on roads. In other words broadly 3 3% of total
population which is active and on roads possesses cycle
as a vehicle for road riding. Assuming that in 1985 the
total population of Pune city would cross 20 lakh-barriers.
About 7 to 8 lakh of people in Poona city would have cycle as their vehicle.
•The heavy traffic in rush hours on Important roadways
(covering a distance of about 10 to 15 Kilometers) has created several problems.
i) it increases accident frequency
ii) more traffic control points are to be
created,
iii) it creates the problem, of air pollution for the city dwellers,
iv) condition of most of the roads in the Poona
city is not suitable for heavy traffic,
with the result that traffic of heavy vehicles leads to
demolition of water pipe-lines, telephone cables. When
ditches are created on roads it leads to heavy depre-
*Source ; SAKAL - Daily Nevjspaper dt. 28-3-82 . An article by Mr. T. B. Modak 'Encroachment of Trucks on Ci-v settlements in Poona city'. (54) elation of vehicles, damage of tyres and increases cost of maintenance and repairs, and also implies additional petrol cost.
In many areas the work of widening roads# their repairs has re mained pending and this has aggravated the problem of riding heavy vehicles on these roads. Most of the roads are of the width less than 30 feet. They are thus iinsuitable for traffic by heavy machine driven vehicles. On important roads one-way traffic arrangements have been implemented - e.g. on Prabhat road, Bhandarkar Road, B.M.C.C. Road, etc., Garware Bridge is not allowed to be used except by PMT buses and vehicles for school and college. Students and buses belonging to private companies which carry employees to and fro are not allowed to use the bridge.
2.7 BUS TRAFFIC IN THE POONA CITY AND THE PERFORKiANCE OF P.M.T. UNDERTAKING :
Analysis of the influence of the P.M.T. Bus Service on mobility of population is relevant because P.M.T. bus service is the near substitute to a bicycle. The relative cost of P.M.T.
Bus service and its operational efficiency should also be studiec din order to know the impact of bicycle on population mobility.
The mode of operation and the distribution of bus depots and stations indicate the spatial aspect of this problem. There are two depots of the Poona Municipal Transport, Service'(PMT) to serve effectively the entire area of the city.
The Swargate depot, lying on the southern fring of the old core is more important than the Naravira Tanaji Wadi depot located in new developing area in the northern half of the city. There are four main bus stations in the (55)
city : (1) Poona railway station (2) Deccan Gymkhana bus station (3) Swargate Btas station and (4) Mahatma
Gandhi Bus station (Pool gate) . The bus service was introduced in 1940 when old core of the city was already over-crowded. So the bus stations were established on the fringe of the old core to serve the thickly populated wards of the city proper. Three bus stations serve the old core. These are Poona railway station bus stand,
Deccan Gymkhana bus station and Swargate bus station. In addition, these bus stations serve suburban areas on north, f west and south respectively. Eastern sviburbs are served by Mahatma Gandhi bus station, as indicated by table
No. 13.
Table 13 ; Daily average run per bus s
_Particulars _ 1965-66 _ 1966-67_ 1967-68
Buses in service 178 190 219
Daily average of Passengers carried 2,00,540 2,21,400 2,27,627
Total No. of Kms. rTon (Daily average for the week) 27,000 38,810 32,733
Daily average per bus 190Kms. 190Kms. 190Kms.
There has been a progressive increase in the route mileage of buses which is the result of the extension of the city to be served by M\anicipal Transport undertaking. (56) 2•8 P.M.T. BUS SERVICE AND FLUCTUATIONS IN MOBILITY NEEDS ;
The bus traffic or traffic in general is not
uniform at all hours of the day. The fluctuations in
the traffic are notable. The morning and evening peaks
indicate mpbility hours of the working population. The
morning peak (residence to place of work) and the
evening peak (place of work to residence) are very clear.
The bus traffic with its daily morning and evening peaks
is almost uniform on all week days except Sundays, when there is a slight decrease in the number of business
opeeations. Sunday morning has the lowest traffic in the
week, though evenings are more crowded.
Bus services every day start at about six in the
morning, when both, the number of business on the road
and passengers carried are low. Both gradually show an
up-ward trend and both reach the morning peak between
10 a.m. and 11 a.m. After 11.00 a.m. when the number of
"business is the maximum, the number gradually declines
till 2.30 p.m. when the curve again resumes an upward
trends and continues to rise till 7.00 p.m.. Shortly
afterwards, the volume of traffic starts thinning down
and continues till 11.00 p.m. when the buses stop
operating.
In the industrial surburbs the morning peak is reached between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. when shifts in a n\jmber of industries begin and in the evening the peak is reache^^ (57) between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. marking the end of the working day.
4
In the rest of the area (city and residential suburbs) morning peak is reached^between 9.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. and evening peak between 6 and 8 p.m. morning is the time for the commuters to go out of the city. People working in the offices near Poona railway station and in other institutions in the old core of the city move to their residences in the suburbs or to the outer residential zones of the city comprising Shivajinagar, Erandavana and Parvati and unfailingly add to the evening traffic rush.
The case with the inward journey is different. In this case there are two peaks, one between 9,30 a.m. and
11.30 a.m. and other between 6 to 8 p.m.. Both these peaks are explained by two different phenomena* The morning peak is obviously the result of heavy inflow of commuters and the city people from the other areas of the city to the retail trade area located in the central part of the city. Old core of the city is the centre of business activity and the centre of many commercial and government offices ( near Poona Railway station) which attracts a large n\amber of people. The evening peak which is common to both inward and outward journey, is caused by the evening rush of people outside their homes. In
the outward journey, it is obviously the result of inverse (58)
flow of the morning traffic, whereas the evening peak in the inward journey is caused by people going to movies and other recreation sports.
Apart from the daily and hourly variation there is no noticeable monthly variation in the traffic, it remains almost constant all the year round though tliere is a very small decrease in the traffic during winter.
In recent years public passenger traffic in the Poona
City and around Poona'is in doldrums. The efficiency of public passenger traffic in a city is measured by ;-
a) the speed with which people travel from
one place to another
b) the time required to travel a distance and c) the cost of public transport for a given distance
For the healthy development of the city high mobi lity of population at a reasonable cost is the chief criterion of efficiency. The P.M.T. undertaking has not been in a position to satisfy the criteria. It is said that compared v/ith passenger traffic in Delhi, Calcutta,
Madras and Bombay Public passenger ser\^ice (BEST) PMT service stands nowhere. However, itshouldbe admitted that Bombay Public passenger service (BEST) as it is, is fairly speedy and easily accessible to layman (59) commuter.
Against the background of the speed with which
Poona has been growing it would be worthwhile to evaluate the performance of the P.M.T. undertaking during the last ten years. Poona has been experiencing alround development. The P.M.T. service started in
1950. Prom 1956 onwards industrial development started.
Establishment of National Defence Academy, establish ment of All India Radio in 1953, establishment of
Hindustan Antibiotics increased the importance of
Poona next to Bombay„ Industrial development along the Bombay Poona National Highway led to establishment of many big and small industries in the Chinchwad-.
Pimpri area. The Panshet Disaster in 1961 created many problems of housing and Poona witnessed all sides development and many new areas like Lohagaon, Katraj/
Dapodi, Pashan were included in the Jurisdiction of
Poona City. The Poona Complex after 1967, as the following table indicates, changed radically.
* NOTE ; SAKAL : 15th May, 1982, Editorial.
SWRAJYA : Local Weekly s Pages 8,9,14 22-5-82., A article on the development of Poona City by - Suresh Garsole. (^0)
Table 14 % Showing number of factories (Industrial establishment) and workers in the industrial complex around Poona (after 1967)
No. of Total No. Factories of workers / Pune ' 507 16,618
Parvati 57 2,901
Kothrud 42 2,565
Pashan 18 - 731
Yerawada 27 3,692
Hadapsar 48 3,57 5
Loni-kalbhor 7 1,377
Kirkee 14 4,818
Dapodi 13 4,283
Pimpri-Chinchwad 28 5,918
Miscellaneous 8 179
TOTAL 668 53,605
The whole complex of Poona Region includes now * Haveli, Mulshi, and Khed Talukas. An area of about
1,513 sq.kilometers around the Poona City is covered by
* Note ; SAKAL ; 18th May, 1982 (61)
Poona Region. Of this 61% has been declared as the green
belt. The green belt consists of Kiwale, Manjri, Budruk,
Katraj, Dhankavadi, Dhayari, Khadakwasla, Hingne Khurd,
Lohagaon, Vadgaon, Sheri Kales, Dhanori etc., and other villages.
The comprehensive, wide Poona Region around Poona
city now covers an area of about 584 sq.miles. If includes
the area of jurisdiction of Poona Mianicipal Corporation
which admeasures 66 square miles.
People around the Poona city (central part) come
from different areas and they require to travel an average
distance of 11.32 miles or 18.22 kilometres per day. The
different bus routes individually cover, to the maximum
possible extent an average distance of 20 kilometers. Railway facilities are not adequately available for people
coming from all directions and therefore the Bus service
is the only means of transport for the people living around
, Poona in the area covered by a circle with a radius of 8.2
miles or 13.12 kilometers.
*However the bus service provided by P.M.T. is not
adequate and has not been keeping pace with the development of the Poona city.Ov/ing to lack of advanced planning,
* NOTE ; SAKAL ; 18th May, 1982 (62)
the public passanger service in the Poona city has almost broken due to :-
a) financial shortages
b) utilisation of depreciation provision for
payment of wages leading to c) inadequate funds for the purchase of
new buses and making replacement of old buses impossible.
As a result demand for increase in the fare rate has
.been a constant and permanent phenomenon. The present
P.M.T. fare rates are double the BEST rates in Bombay and
sKlll Transport sub-committee of the P,iM.C. is required
to pass resolutions demanding frequently upward revisions of fare rates.
* 2.8/9 INCREASE IN THE FARE RATES OF P.M.T. BUSES
Recently the Poona Municipal Transport Sub-committee
of the Poona Municipal Corporation passed a resolution
in its meeting that the rate of minimum fare of 40 paise
be increased by 50 paise. The resolution awaits sanction ,
from the State Government. The argument put in favour
of the Resolution was that the demand for the increase
of 10 paise is made in view of the bus fare of 50 paise
* Reference ; SAKAL s dated 28th May, 1982 (63) in Bombay for the given distance. Similarly Municipal Corporations of Sholapur and Kolhapur have also demanded an increase in minimum fare by 15 paise and ten paise respectively.
This demand for increase of 10 paise in the minimum fare of is made in view of the problem/f>ayment of arrears to the extent of Rs 4,51 lakhs to the P.M.T, employers. The P.M.T. undertaking would also make a purchase of 70 new buses. This increase in bus f? fare has tremendous cost implications for a layman whose main vehicle for local transport happens to be the bus. As a result they will have to switch on to comparatively cheap mode of transport viz bicycle whose cost of transport per kilometer is almost insignificant when compared with the cost of transport by bus or any other two wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle,
2,9. DEPENDENCE OF POONA POPULATION ON PUBLIC PASSENGER MOTOR TRANSPORT
Paradoxically most of the working population of Poona has continued to depend more on P.M.T. service though it is costly and inefficient. As the following tables (No. 15 and. 16) indicate people in Pune have,continued to rely on P.M.T, for local conveyance because it was a cheap and convenient mode of local conveyance. (64)
Table 15 s Statement showing the number of passengers carried, total operational miles, per bus mile return, and per passenger return for the Poona Municipal Transport Undertaking for 1950-51 to 1956-57.
No. of' Average Year Operational miles passengers daily carried passengers
1950-51 18,79,948 1,66,53,667 45,626
1951-52 19,81,502 1,63,89,194 44,902
1952-53 19,60,287 1,72,89,008 47,376
1953-54 19,67,852 1,89,18,839 51,833
1954-55 20,79,874 2,09,37,656 57,363
1955-56 22,24,322 2, 43, 31,962 66,663
1956-57 23,75,383 2,74,42,193 75,184
Per bus mile Per passenger Return Retiarn (Rs.) (Rs.)
1950-51 1-0-8 0-1-11
1951-52 0-15-9 0-1-11
1952-53 1-0-1 0-1-10
1953-54 1-0-10 0-1-9
1954-55 1-1-7 0-1-8
1955-56 1-1-7 0-1-7 1956-57 1-2-0 0-1-7
VJhile the total operational mileage in 1956-57 increased by about 2 5 percent as compared with the (65)
figures in 1950, the increase in the n\amber of passengers carried was spectacular. The rise in the operational mileage was due to the expansion of bus fleet, greater vehicular utilization and increase in route mileage. The situation has however changed radically during the last ten years (i.e. from 1972 to 82)
Table 16 : Showing number of passengers transported by
the Poona Municipal Transport undertaking s
Year No.of Passengers
1957-58 3,07,27,700
1958-59 3,48,27,204
1959-60 3,95, 54,284
1960-61 4,45,61,977
1961-62 4,86,83,474
1962-63 5, 53,95,408
1963-64 6,55,41,795
1964-65 6,74,74,055 * 1965-66 7,31,97,655 1966-67 8,08,37,459
1967-68 8, 30,83,648
1968-69 9,60,90,686
The number of people taking advantage of the PMT
Bus service increased from about 3.73 crores in 1957-58 (66)
to 9.61 crores in 1968-69. In 1980-81 the niamber increased
to 10,23 crores. Approximately every day 3 lakhs of people take resort to bus travel.
Proportion of people relying on bus as a medium of
travel has increased three times approximately. The
following table (No, 17) indicates the increase in the
niamber of buses, in the period 19 51-71. The number of
buses has increased from 57 to about 300.
Table 17 ; Showing increase in population and the
number of buses in the Poona Municipal
Transport t
% increase % increase Year Population No. of over previ- buses over previous ous year___ year______
1951 6,00,351 57 1961 7,37,426 23 140 146
1971 12,00,000 63 299 113 and above
For a population of about 12 lakhs the bus capacity was 300 buses. However when the population has increased by 7 lacs more,the addition to bus fleet should have been
to extent of 2 00 additional buses. However# the recomm
endations of the various expert committees appointed to
suggest measures for improvement in the PMT administration (67)
have not been cared for and implemented by the PMT
Undertaking,Integration of Poona Municipal Transport
Corporation and Poona Chinchwad Municipal Transport
Corporation is necessary to solve the problem and for serving public traffic along the Bombay Pune Road.
♦During the period from 1971 to 1981, Bombay grew by
38%, Delhi by 44% and Poona, by 50%. Thus from 1981 onwards the total number of buses in the fleet of both the Corporations should not be less than 750 (500 X 3/2)
500 base in 1981.
On an average about 85% buses are on the route.
Each bus covers a distance of about 190 K.M.. The average number of passenger carried per bus per day comes to about 1100. The increase in the number of passengers carried and the total distance covered by the buses every day within the last few years is very signi ficant. The average nxjmber of passengers carried daily has recorded an increase of 13.51% every year. This speaks for the overcrowding of the buses.
It should be noted however that during the last ten years (1971to 1981) the number of passengers travelling by P.M.T. buses increased from 3.2 5 lakh
* SAKAL : 23rd May, 1982 (68) passengers to 3,8 lakh passengers only. The implicatioi is that people have come to rely less and less on P.M.T. as a local means of transport. This is because of increase in the accidents caused by P.M.T, buses, increase in the fare rates(which have reduced the comparative low cost advantage of P.M.T, buses over other means of transport) and low efficiency of P.M.T.
Administration. This would mean that even if more buses are added to the existing bus fleet, it would entail losses ' to P.M.T. undertaking. It is obvious by now that P.M.T, undertaking will not be in a position to meet the ever increasing demand for local corranuter transport. According to the Budget of 1982-83 presented by the Poona Municipal Transport undertaking to the Poona Municipal Corporation,
"The P.M.T, has suffered a loss of Rs 2/72, 12, 355. This loss has increased from
Rs 78,30,815 ( in the financial year 1980-81) to
Rs. 2,7 crores. The P.M.T, is on the verge of bankruptcy. In order to make PMT self-sufficient it Ts"necessary to get a loan of Rs 8 to 10 crores for capital expenditure. In absence of such a loan facility the P,M.T will not be in a position to give satisfactory local bus service to passengers in
Poona," (69)
Presently the P.M.T. possesses 365 buses of which only 285 ply on streets. 206 buses in the crew having been running in the streets for the last 8 years and they
are of scrap value and should be replaced by purchasing
new buses. This would mean that almost less than 2/3rd
6f the total buses require replacement. The implication
■would be that local passenger service in Poona will be
adversely affected in the future years to come.
★ It is reported in the latest report on the operations of P.M.T. undertaking that during the last
10 years the number of passengers increased only slightly - i.e. from 3.25 lakhs to 3.80 lakhs of passengers. If the
P.M.T. organization tries to purchase new buses the loss which it is already suffering would increase, because out of 12 3 routes 38 routes outside the PMC area and 44
inside the PMC area are running at a loss.
* Source : TARUN BHARAT - P.M.T. Report for 1982-83 dated 26-12-1982 (70)
2.10 THE GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE OF THE EXISTING BUS ROUTES IN
POONA CITY :
The coverage is calculated in the following ways ;
Route No. Distance(Kms.) Pllces covered
1 4.8 Swargate to Tanaj iwadi
2 8.0 Dattawadi to Poona Stn.
3 8.0 Sahakar Nagar to Tanaj iwadi
4 6.0 Swargate to Poona Stn.
5 9.8 Padmavati Temple, Swargate, Poona Station
6 13.5 Poona station to Poona Station
7 • 6.6 Swargate to Poona Stn.
8 10.7 Padmavati Mandir to Shivajinagar Station
9 6.2 Swargate to Katraj 10 12.8 Deccan Gymkhana to Hadapsar
IX 5.6 Deccan Gymkhana to Poona Station
12 3.8 D.G. City Post Office to to Poona Station
95.8
Total distance of twelve routes ; average 95.8 = 8 K.M. 12 r/i;
Route No. Distance(Kms.) Places covered
13 9.4 D. G. to Poona Station 14 6.9 D. G. to Poona Station
15 13,9 Poona Stn.Mundhwa, Hadapsar
16 10.4 Poona station to Dapodi 17 12.0 Poona to D. G.
18 7.4 Poona Station to Phulenagar, Vishrantwadi 19 11.4 Poona Stn,toVimanagar Lohagaon
20 9.0 Poona Stn. to Vimanagar 21 , 8.6 Pune Station to Matchwell factory - Wadgaonsheri
22 9.3 Poona Station to SRP camp
23 ■ 13.6 Poona Station to Kondhwa Hospital
24 16.5 Mahatma Gandhi Bus Stand to Loni
25 12.8 M.G.Bus Stand to Manjri gaon
26 13.0 Padmavati to Yeravada
27 10.7 Bhikardas Maruti Mandir to Dhayari 28 6.1 D.G. to Poona University
29 12.0 D.G. to Aundh Post Office to Sangoi Gaon 30 14.0 D. G, to Pashan (ARDL) 31 14,0 D, G. to Katve nagar
32 4,0 D. G. to Ganeshnagar Total Distance ; 205.0 No.of routes 20 Average distance 10.2 Kms. (72)
Route No. Distance(Kms.) Places covered
33 8.0 Vishrambaug to Gokhale nagar 34 8.0 Shivaji Housing Society to A, B. Chowk 35 15.0 D.G. to D. G.(Circular route)
36 12.0 Aundh Post office to Vishrantwadi 37 ' 15.7 D.G. to Pimpri Rly. Gate
38 8.1 D. G. to Kirkee Bazar 39 9.7 P.M.C. office to Kirkee bazar 40 8.0 D.G. to Poona station 41 8.0 Poona station to Aundh P.O.
42 8.0 Shivajinagar to Vishrantwadi 43 8.0 Vishrambag wada to Poona University
- 44 . 8.0 P.M.C.Bhavan to Nigadi 45 8.0 Gokhale nagar to Pune Station 46 35.0 Swargate Dapodi 47 6,5 M.G. Bus stand to Shivajinagar station 48 13.0 Padmavati Mandir to Pune stn. 49 17.0 Bhikardas Maruti Mandir to I.A.T. 50 23.6 M.G. Bus stand to Theur
Total Distance 219.6
Total No. of routes 18 Average distance = 12.2 Kms, (73)
Route No, Distance(Kms.) Places covered
51 17.3 M.G. Bus stand to Phursungi
52 16.1 M.G. Bus stand to Wadkinala
53 20.0 Poona station to Chinchwad Nigadi
54 18.3 Poona station to Bhosari
55 12.5 Poona station to Dighi
56 14.6 Poona station to V'/aghoil
57 20.8 D.G. to N.D.A.Ahiregaon
58 11.7 D.G. to Bhoogaon
59 ^ 17.0 P.M.Co office to Bhosari
60 11.1 P.M.C. Office to C.M.C. 61 18.9 P.M.C. office to Chinchwad 62 3.8 D.G. to Gokhalenagar Janawadi
63 22.2 Poona station to NDA
Total 204.3 Distance
No. of routes 13 Average distance : 15.7 Kms.
Average of all the 63 routes = 8 + 10,2 12.2 + 15.7
46.1 = 11.5 Kms.
Thus bus service is used by Poona people for an
average distance of 11.5 kilometers. This diatance can be
easily covered by a bicycle. In the Pimpri Chinchwad Area
the coverage is calculated as shown below : (74)
Plmpri Chlnchwad Bus Routes
Route No, Distance Places covered
101 10.5 Pimpri Waghere Bhosari
102 18.0 Pimpri Chlnchwad Alandi
103 10.5 Chinchwad to Bhosari
104 36.0 Kirkee Ammunition factory to Wadgaon 105 19 .0 Kirkee Ammun. Factory to Moshi
106 22.0 Kirkee Amn. factory to Dehu
107 10.0 Chinchwad gaon to Kirkee
108 22.0 Indrayani to Kirkee
109 • 21.0 Pimpri, Waghere, Dehu, Chinchwad 110 10.0 padmaji Hills to Bhosari
Total 179.0 distance
No. of routes 10 Average distance = 17.9 or 18 Kms,
The P.M.T. Buses contact the following places i
(1) Important townships s Chinchwad town, Chinchwad
railv?ay station, Sv/astik, Telco, Century Enka, Dehu Road, Nigadi, Waghere, Kirkee Ammunition Factory, Dehu, Dapodi, Bopodi, Kasarwadi, H.A. Factory, Pimpri, Khadki bazar, Telegaon, Ghorwadi station (Glass factory) Bhosari, Behru Nagar, Pimpri Colony, Mahindra Factory,
Nashik Road, Philips, Khira Company. (75)
(2) Public Reception Halls ; There are about 30 p\iblic reception Halls (Mangal Karyalayas)
(3) Prominent Hotels and Restaurants : (30 Nos.)
(4) Lodging and Boarding houses s (60 Nos.)
(5) Maharashtra Government Offices ; (115) These includes Departments like - Police, Publicity, Press, Welfare, Records, Sports, Technical Education, Foodcraft,
Tourism, Teacher Training Colleges, Medical Colleges, Z.illa
Parishad Broadcasting, Taxation, Excise, Public works.
Housing, Irrigation, PriEon, Vehicle, Hospitals, Public
Distribution, Forestry, Health services. Vocational Guidance, f Insurance, Education, Agriculture, Judiciaris, Labour Dept.
Languages, Inspector of Factories, Ammunition, Economics and Statistics Corporative Societies, Archaeology, Dairy
Development, Quality Control, Sugar Technology etc.,
surveys and Engg.
(6) The Central Government Offices ; (12 6)
(Establishments) They include - Broadcasting, Archaeology, Family Planning, Collectorates, Water, Power, Pijblic works. Armament, Raw D. Laboratory, Defence, Telephone exchanges. Military Farms, N.C.C. Inspectorates of Vehicles and Explosives, Export, employment. Film and T.V. Canning,
Geological survey. Lives research. Income tax offices. (76)
Labour, engineering. Meteorology, Chemical Overseas
Communications, Sugar Technology, Post Offices, Tele communications, Traffic Superitendence, Railway Stations, Zoology, Insurance, E.S.I. etc..
7) Trade Associations ;
Traders engaged in groceries, chemists and druggists, cloth merchants, Tobbaco, Pressawares,
Hotels and Restaurants, cloth merchants, Tobbaco, ^ pressawarss. Timber merchabts. Publishers, Retailers,
Hardwares, Bankers, Kerosene, cycle dealers. Motor dealers, paper Traders, Building Associations, Brass and copper association.
The population of Pune, which was only-
1,62,001 in 1931 increased by leaps and bounds during the Second World war and reached 482,552, in 1951. It has crossed the million mark by now bringing to the city recognition as a Metropolitan City. The
'-lunicipal area extenfis over 13 8,85 sq.km. of land has 6,166 residents per sq. km. The city's houses number over 45,000 and huts over 30,000. The citizens represent all classes and religions and castes in
India. The city also has large floating population- (77)
Over one thousand six hundred industrial units in the municipal area and around it also bring a large number of daily visitors. Besides Pune continues to attract several state and national organisations and institutions to hold their meetings and conferences to say nothing of visits of ministers and governments staff. With the growth of industries, slums are threatening the city hygeine and health and straining the city's overtaxed land and water resources. The Municipal Corporation has been required to undertake housing schemes for > low and middle income groups. Some 5,000 familie's in Pune draw water from one or the other of 437 public water standposts and an estimated ten per cent of the population uses public latrines.
2.11 JURISDICTION OF THE POONA MUNCIPAL CORPORATION
Pune Municipal Corporation has a total road length of about 3 50 km. including cement concrete asphalted, metalled and unmetalled roads together covering 2.5. per cent of the civic area. It has a filtered water supply providing 32 million gallons ' of water per day with only a small minority having motered water. The municipal area is covered by about 40 km. of underground drainge system and the city daily treats 30 million gallons of sewage. (78)
The civic body runs 22 dispensaries and
11 hospitals with a total of 600 beds, 350/000 outdoor and 7/000 in door patients, A little over
2 5 per cent of the municipal income is spent on medical relief and sanitation.
The civic body runs 192 primary six secondary and one Technical school wit^ more than 82,000 students.
It has 16 municipal parks and gardens with a total area of 65 acres. Fourteen fountains, one swimming pool/ one zoological garden and nine children's a park are also provided by the civic body. The street light points number 10,200 The punr municipal
Transport undertaking operates on sixty- eight routs with 316 municipal buses, carrying daily an average of 4 Lakhs passengers.
The civic body is managed by about 8000 employees with the Municipal Commissioner as the executive head. About 90% of the income comes from octroi and property taxes.
Thus next only to Greater Bombay, Pune has grown as the Second largest, industrial city in
Maharashtra. (79) 2.12. * CONDITION OF ROADS IN POONA CITY AND ITS IMPACT ON ACCIDENT FREQUENCY ;
The condition of important roads In Poona has been deplorable and therefore, as a protest, more than 50% of the vehicle owners have not paid the corporation tax. This has been confirmed from the records kept at R.T.O. ,Office for the year
1980-81.
'According to the R.T.O., Records, the total number of cycles, scooters, rickshaws, trucks, tractors, private buses has been 1,65,000 in the
Corporation, Cantonment and Kirkee area.' In the year 1979-80 the number of different vehicles in the Poona City was -
Scooters, Lune ) 95,903 and Motor Cycles ) Cars and Taxis 22,334
Rickshaws 10,735
Trucks 16,000
Tractors 9, 000
Private Buses 50
The rates of Corporation Taxes for the year for the various vehicles have been as shown in the following table. (80)
Vehicle Yearly Tax Rs. Luna 12
Scooter 3 0
Car 60 Truck 14 4
Private Vehicle(bus) 108
Metador 12 0 Rickshaw 48
Jeep 84
In respect of bicycles the tax was abolished.
This gave peaculiar advantage to the cycle owners,
It is a great facility for the cyclists. There has also been some relaxation about lamps, double seating etc.
* Sources s SAKAL - the local nev/spaper dated 29th Sept, 1981. (81)
The condition of roads in and around
Pune is not satisfactory, e.g. Shankarshet Road from Sv/argate to Golibar xMaidan is a part of national high way. It has become very easy to distinguish between the national and state highways and city roads by merely having a look at their conditions. Another patch of national highway is the Bombay Poona Road which should have been widened many years ago taking into consideration the increase in the traffic flow. It is an accident prone road full of potholes and the vehicles experience jerks and bumps Public Works Department do not have funds for the road widening although they have made the plans many years ago. The proposed ring road will also not be completed within the next seven years.
The National Highway Division has also refused permission for falling trees along the road, although the Pune Municipal Corporation had declared these trees as old and given the permission to cut them for road v/idening. A large number of accidents could be averted and many lives saved if the Public Works
Department made a little effort for v/idening the road. b7egotiations v/ith the P.W. D. Officials at local level have proved to be fruitless for the last several years. (82)
With the cyclists flouting all traffic
laws and the police shutting their eyes to it even one way traffic systems like the one on M.G.Road have not only become a force but pose even a greater menance to the powered vehicles. The erratic parking of vehicles all over the place has aggravated the situation making our roads into a real traffic bedlam.
The Police Commissioner expressed his opinion by saying that the cyclists formed th( weaker section of the society and were in sucn large n\ambers that it v/as not desirable and practical to discipline them .
The question therefore arises is how is it that in other towns like Delhi and Bangalore, where cycle population is larger than in Pune, the cyclists are made to observe all the traffic laws? ' ■
\
The numb-r of vehicles plying in the Pune City has been increasing from 1972 . In 1972 the total number of vehicles was 7 5,307 Till 1977 the number increased to 1,17,367 * Population settlements ar 0 developing along the important (83)
national highways. e.g. Along the B'bay Poona
Road, total population settlement at Kasarwadi is 25,000 with 500 to 600 shops.
As against the needs of conveyance/ for the Last four years PCMT's transport service has been quite inadequate and in efficient. This is due to low number of employees and technicians, appointed. Out of 73 buses 19 buses have gone out of order. P.C.M.T. has to provide has service regularly to 40,000 passengers, *
2.13 * THE NATURE OF TAXI TRANSPORT IN THE POONA CITY
Because of the rise in prices of petrol the niimber of passengers using taxi as a mode of transport has declined. In 1979-80 on an average the taxies could have 8 trips ( to and from) along
Poona Bombay Road. In 19 80-81 the average of trips reduced to 4.5 trips. The taxi drivers have no scope for business in the Poona City. For the taxi-drivers, the earnings per month are only Rs 400 to Rs 500 after paying for loan instalments.
Reference ; * Vishal Sahyadri 3/8/80 Local Nuespaper - * Sakai 20/8/82 * Sakai 18/9/82 (84)
petrol, maintanance, toll etc. ( which comes to about Rs 1,900 to 2, 000). In order to avoid competition between taxis plying Poona-Bombay road and the local taxis 300 licenes have been issued to the local taxi drivers whose livelihood depends on taxi business. The reduced reliance of Poona people on taxi is worth noting in the context of increased reliance on either rickshaw or scooters and ultimately on bicycles.
2.14. CHANGE IN THE LICENSING SYSTEM INTRODUCED BY THE R.T.O. IN POONA
As per the new changes introduced by Government in the R.T.O. Licensing System*, the heavy vehicle drivers have to possess a license for driving a light vehicle for a period of two consecutive years.
In Maharashtra, everyday2 50 to 300 driving licenses are issued for heavy vehicle driving. The number of .such licences has been increasing. This means that the country needs heavy vehicle drivers in large numbers. However, considering the proneness of heavy vehicle like trucks to accidents on roads and high ways such a rule is made which makes
* Kesari — dated 3rd April,1981. (85)
experience in small vehicle driving comulsory before a small vehicle driver gets heavy-vehcile
driving licence. The small vehicle driver drives
a truck weighing 1,000 to 1,200 kilos at the speed of 50 to 60 km per hours. On completing two years of such experience in driving, a driver v^ould be
expected to drive a heavy vehicle of 15, 000 to
17,000 kilo weightage and this would increase frequency of accidents resulting from havey vehicle ■ driving.
2.15. ACCIDENT FREQULNCY IN AND AROUND THE POONA c CITY
When we consider the accident frequency in Poona we to have take cognizance of the fact that Maharashtra is the leading State among all the states in so far as accident frequency is concerned. It is reported in the newspapers that* the number of casualities in total accidents in
1980 v;as largest in i4aharashtra ( 40,404) , One I of the factors behind the high frequency of acciddents has been the consistent increase in the number of vehicles as the following table indicates
* Ref 5 SAICAL -theLocal newspaper dt,5th May, 1981 .86)
Year Population Vehicles
1961 6,21,000 22,252
1971 10,00,000
1981 17,50,000 1,70,603
! In 1972 all types of vehicles numbered
75,607, Till 1977 it increased to 1,17,362.
Private vehicles are used because O 'f the small campus of Poona city and thesurrounding area. Every day about 10 lakhs of people use the various roads and lanes in Poona. All these factors have increased the frequency of accidents in and around Poona. This frequency of accidents has been increasing consistently as shown in the following table.
Table No 18
Showing the distance at which accident occurred
Average miles per accident
1951-52 12,423
1952-33 14,325
1953-54 14,500
1954-55 14,300 %
* Source ; Sakai - 19th Dec 1982
Vishal Sahyadri - 3/8/80 ** SAKAL - 16-12-82 (87)
Average miles per accident 1955-56 15,634
1956-57 , 15,836
1957-58 15,900
1959-60 16,687
1960-61 19,587
1961-62 23,160
1962-63 20,304
1963-64 28,719
1964-65 23, 312
1966-67 23,312
1967-68 22,202
1968-69 41,666
1969-70 44,251 ' 1970-71 48,690
• During the last ten years the frequency of accidents has been on an average three accidents per two days ( Vide Tarun Bharat. 26-12-82)
2.16. BREAK UP OF TRAFFIC BY VARIOUS MEANS OF CONVEYANCE
The following table indicates the break-up of traffic by the various means of conveyance and modes of journey in Poona City (88)
TABLE NO 19
Showing statistical information relating to the break up of traffic by the various means of conveyance and modes of journey in Poona City.
Total Number of Riskshaws 2,582
Total number of Taxies Small 390
Total Number of Taxis Big 11
Total Number of Taxis Tourist 74
Total Number of Privately owned cars 132
Total Number of Scooter,Motor Cycles and Scooterates , 6/312
Privately owned transport buses 103
Pi4T,Buses ( Including double deckers) 300
Cycles Riskshaws 70
Number of Pedal cycle owners - 65,473
Sources Statical records in the office of the
Regional Transport Officer, Poona and
Poona Municipal Corporation, for the
year 1969, (.) According to the Cycle Net work Project submitted to the Muncipal Commissioner a scheme is submitted for management of bicycle
traffic, in view of this high accident
frequency of machine-driven vehicles. (89)
2.17 PROSPECTS FOR THfe FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POONA CITY
The Poona Municipal Corporation Celebrated its
125th Anniversary and reviewed the Corporation's administration of the City, The P.M.C has a very long good tradition of thirty years. The P.M.C, ably administered by good administrators has been resheduling the problems of developments of the Poona City and the various suburbs and drawing out plans for its future development. Presently the grave problems faced by the P.M.C. are
(1) fall in the income of P.M.C. (2) increasing personal expenditure.
(e.g. in 1980-81 of the total expenditure of Rs 10.72 gross of the P.M.C. Rs 9 crores (about 50% ) expenditure was incured on personnel. During the years 197 5-80 every year the personnel expenditure increased by Rs 1 crore every year. On the other hand there has been a cut to the extent of 20% to 25% in P.M.C. income from toll, excise e tc ,. Revenue expenditure on account of water supplying, clearing roads, drawings, sanitation etc. has been mounting high. (90)
This would been that P.M.C, v/ill not have
adequate finances to undertake the development
schemes. P,M„C. has in fact been the Second
Mxanicipal Corporation ( next to Delhi ) to implement
the Town Planning Act,
Poona is developing with industries and because of lack of employment facilities in the rural areas of Maharashtra, the number of residencsCdomiciles)
in the Poona City will continue to increase.
During the decade 1971-81 Bombay grew at the rate of 38% Delhi at rate of 50% POONA is not only a District place, it is the Central place for about 7,8, district. There is tremendous traffic rush created by the motor traffic via Bombay Nasik road to the south. The scheme of road widening have remained unplanned and un-implemented,
* Out of 4 persons in the Poona City one person
lives in slums. There is no scope for new constructions
The Draft Revised Development plan of Pune, for making available suitable, separate and safe lanes of traffic for cyclists which presently number
31 lakhs is being prepared.
Vide letter No.1533 dated 19-10-1982 City Engineer's Office, Poona Municipal Corporation. (91)
The lands around Poona have been acquired by the defence department of government since the period of British rule. During the next ten-
fifteen years the ratio of slum dv/ellers to City
dwellwers will come to 2,:2, There are no concrete
schemes of town planning and development of the
Poona City during the next 5-10-15 years. With
increase is population, the city does not develop proportionately, accordingly. It is necessary
for the State Government and the Central Government to help Pune, Pimpri,Chinchwad Corporation and the three Cantonments, to solve problems of house construction, water supply transport, traffic and health, because Poona City has become the educational,
industrial and cultural centre for Satara, Nagar,
Sholapur, Nasik, Sangamner and Lonawala,
If an increase in the minimum bus fare continues crores of people who take recourse to bus travell every year will have to ei~cher walk down the distance or to purchase their own vehicle viz, bicycle.
There have been many instances of inadequate and untimely bus service of vital places in the thickly populated and industrial areas around Poona.
* Sakai Daily Newspaper dated Editional 25th May 1982 (92)
Cycles/ account for more than 60% of the vehicles in Poona City. The nvunber of cyclists who are Involved in road accidents is 30%. As a result of such a large niimber of cycles used in Poona City the traffic pressures and tensions have increased and the importance of speedy vehicles (machine driven) is getting reduced. Therefore traffic through machine driven speedy vehicles and the slow speed bicycles will have to be segregated if roads are reserved for bicycle traffic and if separate tracks are reserved on main roads are reserved for cycles the cycle traffic could be greatly facilitated.
The following twelve important roadways are to be constructed in the Poona City
(a) The Lai Bahadur Shastri Marg near Vaikuntha Chowk. (b) Tilak road infront of Dnyane Prabhodini.
(c) Kxamthekar Road and Laxmi Road opp,
Dnyane Prabhodini.
(d) Road opp. Shanwar Wada. (e) Road opp. Nava Vishnu Mandir. (f) Road at the Ganapati Chowk along
Laxmi Road. (93)
(g) Road at Shanv/ar Wada along Shivaji Road. (h) Road along Manglawar Hospital.
(i) Road at Jangli Maharaj Road Near Gune
Hospital lading to Bombay Poona Road, (j) Road at Mariai Gate (k) Road at Kirkee Church
(1) Road at Range Hill.
Two new bridges will be built# parallel to Sambhaji Bridge, They will be used only by the
cyclists. This would facilitate cycle traffic by aged people# employees# school boys etc,. The total number of cycles in the Poona City are at present,
2 Lakhs ( Private Cycles)
50#000 ( Hired Cycles )
The Hired cycles are used six times the private cycles. Thus the cycle traffic pressure on the Poona City would be to the extent of 5,5 lakh cycles. The num.ber of other vehicles (other than cycles) is 1.25 lakhs.
The recent cancellation of 35 local trains out of 845 schedules was a problem in Bombay. The main reason for the cancellation was that adequate number of rakes were not available to replace the old ones. (94)
The local bus service system in all meti?opolitan
cities has been facing severe financial crisis and
huge annual deficit for more than a decade.
2.18 NEED FOR A SEPARATE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL
Mr, S, Rammoorthy * the retiring Police
Commissioner has opined that there is a need for a separate Engineering Department for managing
the present traffic problems in the Poona City. Such a department is needed for coordination of
different types of traffic and for maintenance of
satisfactory conditions of roads. As the maintenance
of defferent parts of the roads is looked after
by different bodies like P.M.C. Pune Cantonment
Board, National Highway Department etc., the
condition of roads is totally unsatisfactory. This
leads to a high accident frequency and high rate
of depreciation and damage to the vehicles.
Therefore an organization, coordinating the
justifications and operations of P.M.C, Poona
Cantonment Board, National High way Department,
Local Governments, Electricity Boards, Telephone
Department is much more necessary than before. The personality of Pune City has been changing from'
the Pensioner's City' to the second largest
* Vide his speech in daily Sakai dated 26-12-82, (95) industrial city in Maharashtra. But owing ro
lack of foresight in city Planning adequate amenities like footpaths# culverts# bridges roads, lanes have not be provided. As the Central Part of the Pune City consists of Govt, Offices# Shops marketing area# educational institutions a the to and fro traffic from newly developed suburban areas to the central part has created the problems like traffic congestion items# high frequency of accidents# lack of parking facilities,
9 5% of the traffic to Bangalore# Sholapur# Satara#
Poona Bombay Nasi>: Nagar etc. is borne by the small roads in the central part of the city. Moreover a cyclist in Pune City is involved in 37 out of
100 accidents in Pune City. It is obvious that owing to rising petrol prices and inefficient and costly P.M.T. service the number of cycle owners is going to increase.
*****