Walking plaza project on Pune's Laxmi Road postponed

The proposed walking plaza project on Laxmi Road was postponed on Saturday as municipal commissioner Mahesh Pathak said that the project would be implemented only after solving all related problems and taking all stakeholders into confidence.

He was talking to media persons after a meeting of stakeholders about the walking plaza project. Additional municipal commissioner Anupkumar Yadav, additional city engineer Shriniwas Bonala and deputy police commissioner Vishwas Pandhare were present.

Representatives of traders on Laxmi Road also attended the meeting. Pathak said that the earlier scheduled dates of November 11 and 12 to start the project were only tentative ones.

The PMC has sought opinion of various stakeholders. There is a demand to make arrangement for parking vehicles of local residents and the customers visiting the street. The PMC would make all necessary arrangements for the project.

He said that the civic body would implement the project only after it assured the citizens about the facilities and by taking everybody into confidence. He said that there is a proposal to allow parking only on one side of the road on even and odd days. Citizens’ suggestions and objections would be invited for the same.

Local residents and merchants on Laxmi Road complained about encroachments on the road and hurdles on footpaths. The civic authorities and traffic police were supposed to start the walking plaza on a trial basis on November 12. But, now it has been postponed by a few more days.

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Vishwas Pandhare told DNA, “The decision has been postponed. On November 19, a unanimous decision would be taken by civic officials and traffic police,’’ he said.

On Monday, Pandhare, civic officials and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) officials had inspected the area, including traffic junctions where the project would be implemented.

The walking plaza is planned from Ganpati Chowk on Laxmi Road to Shagun Chowk. Only pedestrians would be allowed in the designated area and vehicles would be banned.