The spot where techie was killed after bring by an MPV on NDA-Pashan Road on Saturday morning
Software professional Virendra Dwivedi (48) was killed after being hit by a car near Maruti temple on NDA-Pashan Road while out on a run on Saturday morning. In July, fitness expert Uday Birmal (38) succumbed to injuries after an autorickshaw struck him from the rear on DP Road in Erandwane. The lack of dedicated infrastructure is one of the reasons many are forced to run on roads,” additional commissioner of police Manoj Patil said. (With inputs from Gitesh Shelke & Mihir Tanksale) 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.
“Where is the place to practice?” asked Kothrud resident and runner Kaustubh Deshpande. “When I worked in US, I could step out for a walk or run without worrying about safety,” he said. Pune: The deaths of two joggers within two months have reignited concerns over the lack of dedicated running infrastructure in Pune, forcing thousands of runners and joggers to train on roads alongside fast-moving traffic. For Pune’s running community, the tragedies were symptoms of a larger infrastructure gap. Traffic police also admitted that inadequate civic infrastructure was contributing to road fatalities. “This is a matter of concern. We are losing people on roads. Download the TOI App.
Because there were few uninterrupted tracks for long-distance training. runner’s death Though Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) operates around 150 gardens, civic officials admitted most were designed for walking and recreation rather than serious running, daily runners said non-fatal accidents involving joggers and cyclists were common across the city, largely. Because of heavy traffic volumes, “The city’s road infrastructure is not suitable for running.
Karvenagar resident Shailesh Shinde said, “Many runners rely on the Savitribai Phule Pune University campus for training. I run near my home, use open grounds twice a week and have even tried treadmills, but it is not the same. ” Referring to the NDA-Pashan Road accident, runner Vivek Patil, a software engineer, told TOI that vehicles parked near the temple frequently narrowed the carriageway width and created bottlenecks. Parked vehicles make it even harder for traffic to move safely,” he said. At best, people can walk,” Bankar said. Officials said the ongoing riverfront development project could eventually provide longer, continuous stretches for walkers and runners, though it remained unclear how much of the network would be conducive to serious training.
But travelling there every morning is not practical. “Many times, people stop their two-wheelers and even cars in front of the (Maruti) temple for a few seconds to offer prayers. They hardly realise that their vehicles cause congestion and inconvenience to other commuters. PMC road department head Rajesh Bankar acknowledged the limitations of existing infrastructure. Nehru Stadium and tracks in Sarasbaug offered limited alternatives, Pune lacked a dedicated network of running tracks capable of serving long-distance runners While facilities like Sanas Sports Complex. In the absence of safe facilities, many runners have shifted to hills, open grounds and locations outside city limits for weekend sessions. Some prefer stretches in Pimpri Chinchwad, including Nigdi-Pradhikaran and parts of Bhosari MIDC, where wider roads offer comparatively safer conditions.
