As part of the efforts being taken to address severe traffic congestion in the Chakan area, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has, for the first time, provided Chakan traffic police a crane and a patrolling van to quickly clear heavy vehicles that break down on the Pune-Nashik highway. The equipment will be deployed in the Chakan and Mahalunge traffic divisions, while an ambulance is also expected to be added soon.
The Chakan industrial area witnesses heavy movement of goods and commercial vehicles every day, resulting in frequent vehicle breakdowns on the Pune-Nashik highway. Heavy vehicles stranded on the carriageway often cause long queues, while the traffic police face difficulties in removing them. The availability of a dedicated crane will be particularly useful in removing heavy vehicles and will help ensure smoother traffic movement”. The crane and patrolling van have been provided by the NHAI following directions from the district administration to address the recurring congestion problem. The initiative is expected to strengthen the traffic police response mechanism and ensure that vehicles that have broken down are removed from the highway at the earliest. Both the crane and patrolling van will be stationed at the NHAI’s divisional office near Spicer Chowk on the Pune-Nashik highway. They will be deployed as required within the Chakan and Mahalunge traffic divisions. The patrolling van will also help traffic personnel monitor the highway, and respond quickly to incidents that can disrupt traffic movement. Meanwhile, an ambulance is also expected to be added to the fleet soon. Approval for the ambulance has reportedly been received from the NHAI’s New Delhi office, and the facility is expected to further strengthen emergency response on the highway.
In several cases, the vehicles cannot be pushed aside due to their size and weight, leaving the police with limited options to clear the road quickly.
Chakan traffic division senior police inspector Deepak Gosavi said, “Around six vehicles break down every day on the Pune-Nashik highway and Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur route, with heavy vehicles accounting for a significant portion.
