Pune: Senior citizens of Pune feel they are no longer navigating a city whose growth is keeping them in mind. Broken pavements, unruly traffic, inaccessible public transport and safety concerns have become daily realities for the city’s ageing population.
As per a PMC draft geriatric care policy from 2022 (which has not yet seen the light of day), an estimated 4.3 lakh to 5 lakh Pune residents are aged 60 and above. Roads less taken Lt Gen Sudarshan Shrikant Hasabnis (65), a retired Army officer, lives in a slightly remote pocket of Aundh. Bavdhan resident CS Krishnan (74) agreed: “I prefer to walk, but it is difficult given the state of footpaths. Across town in Mundhwa’s Keshavnagar, retired senior citizen Roopan Singh (68) expressed concern about single lanes jammed with twice the capacity of vehicles, and how no motorists stop to allow her to pass. NIBM Road resident retired brigadier MJ Kumar (61) echoed, “Crossings are a mess. From the brutal deadly assault on a 77-year-old morning walker in Aundh in June 2024 to rising cybercrimes draining senior citizens of their life’s savings, this demographic has for long cited the need for intervention by the authorities to make them feel safer. Kharadi resident Sudhakar Patil (75) said he and many of his friends strictly ensure they return home before dark as their own neighbourhood feels unsafe. There are just 1,100 traffic police personnel to manage all junctions in the city. Civil engineer Parinay Punamiya (32) said an age-friendly city rests on three pillars — freedom of access to hospitals, parks and public spaces; freedom of movement, including commuting; and freedom to contribute, ensuring senior citizens retain independence. Continuity, not construction, is the single biggest engineering challenge Pune faces today. ” Avinash Lakhare (77), a social gerontologist, told TOI that in addition to infrastructure updates, senior citizens also need constant checks of their physical, psychological, financial, social and spiritual health.
It has now been downgraded to a city where there are no safe or secure facilities for them,” he said. (With inputs from Anoushka Sarkar) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
He said access to basic necessities like groceries is at least 2km away, more convenient by vehicle. Walking on them is dangerous, especially for the elderly,” he said, asking who is accountable. Authorities have been told and not much has been done,” she said. Hasabnis said, “Smaller steps on buses and platforms would make things easier for many users, not just the elderly. “Public transport is inadequate,” said retired teacher Sunita Yengule (72). If motorists cannot see us post-sunset, an accident is imminent,” he said. We send it to the required division and resolve the issue as soon as possible,” he said, but added, “The main issue we face is manpower. Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) chief superintendent engineer of the road department, Abhijeet Ambekar, said, “We are working on footpaths, but amid the push for piped gas, MNGL has been digging across areas, and we have to give permission. Since the needs of senior citizens receive relatively low priority compared to other urban demands, age-friendly facilities are frequently overlooked or inadequately integrated into city planning and development. ” The retiree added, “An age-friendly city enables people to age with dignity, independence, and security. He said although Pune has adopted the Urban Street Design Guidelines and Complete Streets Programme — both built around pedestrian-first, universally accessible streets — compliance standards are far from ideal. Senior citizens don’t experience a city through engineering drawings or completion certificates, but via everyday journeys,” Punamiya said. Much comes down to maintenance rather than design intent, he said, adding, “We don’t wait for citizens to complain before checking if a traffic signal works. Punamiya further said: “We create isolated pockets of good infrastructure over an interconnected system. Awareness needs to increase,” Lakhare said.
But traffic outside is fast and chaotic, and police personnel hardly ever around, making routine commutes a challenge. Walking is not an option either. “Footpaths outside our society were done up just a few years ago. But in summer this year, the pavements were dug up pre-monsoon and not repaired properly. One can easily trip on uneven surfaces and jutting pipes. Encroachment by food vendors also creates obstacles, and trash piles up around stalls. There are few proper amenities to cross roads. “Traffic chaos is a huge problem in our area. Only one or two police personnel are present to control the rush, and there is no proper zebra crossing. Signal timers do not last long enough for the elderly to walk across. Extended countdowns need to be considered. Kumar, who now works as a senior real estate advisor, grapples with a long list of daily hazards. “Hard-to-navigate walkways and very high curbs with broken paver blocks are the worst. For older adults, the biggest worry is falling down,” he highlighted. He also raised concerns about the need for public benches and affordable step-free public transit, besides more ramps and grab rails in interiors of public transport and toilets. Not just short trips, but longer distances pose a challenge, too. “I am not tech-savvy, so apps for autos and cabs are complicated. If one hails an auto, it takes longer as most drivers reject rides. Those who agree ask for more money and refuse to ply by meter. It is frustrating. The Karve Road resident added, “I am forced to request a neighbour to bring groceries or I only shop nearby. But even while walking to stores, the roads are in a mess, with garbage-laden or broken footpaths and motorists driving haphazardly. I can’t even buy in bulk and carry a big load back home. Besides civic infrastructure, security is another growing worry. “The lane outside my society is poorly lit, with streetlights rarely working. We walk on the road as footpaths are deficient. A resident of the area for many years, Patil added, “Chain-snatchings have reduced here in recent times but were rampant till just a couple of months ago. The fear lingers. Authorities cite challenges Complaints from elderly individuals are fast-tracked, insisted deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Sandip Bhajibhakare. “It is taken as a priority if senior citizens complain. Once they are finished and reinstate stretches, we then hope to focus on repairs in accordance with guidelines. In some areas, such work is already under way. We will conduct a separate drive for footpaths once monsoon is done and look at not just fixing and streamlining them, but also at additional work like installing benches to enhance utility. ” But Krishnan highlighted his disappointment with the authorities for neglecting to provide citizens with basic necessities for a comfortable life, especially the elderly. “For the last six years, we have been hearing from PMC officials that they are short on manpower and vehicles. So, nothing gets tackled on ground. Supervision by all PMC departments is poor and no one is willing to take responsibility. They don’t even want to listen to residents who are trying to help them identify problems. As the population increases, things are only going to get worse if civic pain points are not corrected immediately,” he added. Hasabnis concurred, “City planners and local authorities are aware of the infrastructure and services needed by older adults, and funding is often not the primary constraint. The real challenge is prioritisation. It removes physical, digital, as well as social barriers, while ensuring that older adults remain active contributors to community life rather than becoming isolated or dependent. What do the elderly need? These journeys tell a different story. Footpaths disappear midway, utility boxes encroach on walking space and excavations stay open for weeks. Accessibility deserves the same level of attention. One road may have good footpaths, the adjacent one has none. A public building may have a lift, but the approach to it is unsafe. A park may be senior-friendly, but there is no safe path to it. Designing one accessible pavement is easy, but an uninterrupted network is where the real task begins. “Authorities must make varied specialised care available for this demographic. For physical and psychological health, a specialist can be deployed to allot time for treatment on a concessional basis. For social health, many senior citizen clubs and associations are already well established and provide a sense of community or belonging, especially for those who live on their own. “Keeping the needs of this age group in mind, the civic body and other stakeholders should work on drafting a policy on how the city can be made age friendly. Three or four decades ago, Pune was known as a ‘Pensioner’s Paradise’. Download the TOI App.
Today, as the city expands and develops, the gap between infrastructure and the needs of its elderly residents is widening. “Today, if a road has a specified footpath width, a ramp at the junction and tactile paving, we say it complies with standards.