Pune: Laxmi Road as ‘open street’ on December 11 raises questions

PUNE: The civic administration is organising an “open street mall” on a 500-metre stretch of Laxmi road on December 11, which is part of the Pune mayor’s initiative to encourage citizens to walk and observe the day as the city’s annual Pedestrian Day.
But the initiative has raised questions from a section of society about its appropriateness especially with the Omicron variant making its way into the city.Many said Laxmi road and adjoining areas are always crowded during festival times, with people ignoring Covid norms. “Open street” holds the potential of similar crowding, they felt.
However, Pranjali Deshpande, committee member, Non Motorised Transport, had a different view. “When maintaining social distance and wearing masks is very important with the new variant having emerged, people will have more space to follow the protocols without vehicles around,” she said. “As the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is trying to encourage fitness among citizens, we are putting more focus on initiatives and activities that will facilitate the same. Starting this year, the open street mall will be a trial to help us make it an annual event,” said Deshpande.
The stretch from Nagarkar Talim chowk to Kunte chowk and then on to Umbrya Ganpati chowk will be shut for traffic on the day. Deshpande said, “Laxmi Road is chock-a-block with traffic during any festive season, which makes it a difficult experience for pedestrians. Shopping is more of a pedestrian experience anyway, where one can go from shop to shop on foot.” A garment store owner on the road said, “Contrary to the notion that there will be less sale with restricted traffic flow in the area, we are expecting sales to go up that day since customers can move along this usually busy street at ease and shop at leisure.”
Rutuja Shinde, a regular shopper in the area, said, “Whenever we go to Laxmi Road, we have to park elsewhere and walk down as we can never get parking space. .”
Dinkar Gojare, executive engineer of the PMC road department, said there is a tentative plan for three electric vehicles to ply from Deccan Gymkhana, SP College and the PMC building to the “open street”. “We have made a list of areas that need safer facilities to encourage walking among. On December 11, such facilities will be inaugurated at Gadital Chowk on Solapur Road, Datta Mandir Chowk in Viman Nagar, Athavale Chowk on Law College Road, Pen Chowk on Senapati Bapat Road, Karnataka School Chowk on Gulawani Maharaj Road, Sant Kabir Chowk on Nehru Road, and Khadi Machine Chowk in Kondhwa. Supplementary programmes will be arranged along Prabhat Road, Sarasbaug to Puram Chowk, Shastri Road and from Ambedkar Chowk to Alandi Road,” he said.