Pune: For thousands of IT professionals battling Hinjewadi’s notorious traffic every day, one question comes up almost every single day: Why is a Metro line that is largely ready still not running?
If the PM could inaugurate a 14-km partial Metro stretch in Chennai, why not the 12-km Hinjewadi stretch that has been idle for four to five months?” asked Pavanjit Mane of the Forum for IT Employees. Anita Jangid, who travels from Baner to Hinjewadi Phase 3, said the undue wait had already altered her life. Hinjewadi-bound commuters said the daily travel was becoming particularly frustrating due to traffic bottlenecks, narrow underpasses and pothole-riddled roads. Because the alternative remains out of reach, while a modern rapid transit system stands ready on large stretches of the route, commuters continue to spend money on private vehicles.
CM Devendra Fadnavis said he invited the PM, yet no launch date has been set. IT employees said the Metro could significantly reduce the burden. “I didn’t want to buy one,” Jangid said. If Metro had started, I would have happily used public transport instead,” she said. A public transport service should begin serving the public the moment it is ready, not when a dignitary is available,” Mane said.
“The Metro has been ready for months, but it’s still awaiting a VIP inauguration. “But after waiting eight to nine months, I had no choice. Driving through the traffic every day is exasperating. Her story reflects a larger irony unfolding across Pune’s IT corridor. “It feels like inaugural programmes are taking priority over people’s problems.