Bookings spike, traffic builds as long I-Day weekend travel kicks off

Time of India

19 hours ago

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Pune: The three-day weekend, with Independence Day on Friday, has triggered a travel rush, increasing traffic on highways and boosting hotel bookings, with highway police deploying extra personnel to areas prone to bottlenecks, aiming to prevent massive traffic jams.
Anticipating congestion, entrepreneur Pratibha Singh brought her Mumbai trip forward to Thursday, while Adhersh Nair also advanced his trip to Bengaluru, booking Thursday tickets to avoid weekend chaos. "I am visiting my brother who stays in Mumbai. Initially, I had planned to leave early on Friday, but opted for Thursday fearing traffic chaos on Friday morning," Singh said.
Nair said he advanced his trip due to construction work on the route.
"Besides, the ticket prices are higher for Friday," he said.
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Expecting heavy traffic on Friday, SP Vikrant Deshmukh, highway safety patrol, Pune division, said, "We'll deploy staff and officers on major highways, including Pune-Mumbai Expressway, Pune-Kolhapur, Pune-Solapur, Pune-Nagar and Pune-Nashik, to manage congestion. We'll focus on areas like Khed-Shivapur, where road construction is causing bottlenecks, and Karad, where bridge work is under way.
We'll rely on manpower to manage traffic, rather than using drones or other technology.
"
Deshmukh said some heavy duty cranes have also been deployed at Lonavla-Khandala section to shift vehicles in case of breakdown. "Our teams at Urse Toll Plaza and in the ghat section will tell the heavy vehicle drivers to use only left lanes for their movements. Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to travel on the middle and right lanes," he said.
IT professional and Baner resident Shantanu Raut altered his plan to visit friends in Mumbai for the long weekend after finding all intercity trains fully booked. "My friend suggested that I opt for a bus instead, departing Thursday evening, despite concerns about potential traffic jams on the Pune-Mumbai expressway," he said.
City roads connecting the highways would also have a significant police presence to manage traffic and prevent congestion.
Manoj Patil, additional commissioner of police in Pune, said leaves of almost all traffic police officers have been cancelled. "Additional personnel have been deployed on key routes out of Pune, including Singhad Road, Satara Road and Nagar Road, to manage traffic. Heavy rush is expected till Friday morning, while Sunday evening and Monday morning will focus on inbound traffic," Patil said.
Rohini Patil, a Tilak Road resident, planned her family's Nashik trip well in advance, booking bus tickets ahead of time.
"I just hope for a smooth journey, as the long weekend is a rare break for my husband's hectic work schedule. We just want to relax, but are bracing for potential traffic jams," she said.
Mili Joseph, who stays on NIBM Road, said she and her husband were all set to spend the long weekend in Goa. "We booked airfares last month. Our plan is just to relax at a resort in north Goa," she said.
Some residents decided to stay at home instead of travelling, anticipating the traffic and rainfall forecasts.
"Weekends are usually packed, but this time it'll be worse. With rain and poor road conditions, driving will be a nightmare," businessman R Joglekar, who postponed his Shirdi trip to Tuesday, said.
MTDC and hotel association officials said there's been a significant spike in bookings for hotels, resorts, and other rental accommodations around Pune. Deepak Harane, regional manager at Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), said, "Our properties in coastal areas like Ganpatiphule and Tarkarli are fully booked, with 95-100% occupancy.
Monsoon spots like Malshej Ghat and Matheran are also nearly full, at 90-95%.
Other popular destinations like Shirdi, Ajanta and Ellora are around 90% booked. The three-day weekend and school break have boosted travel, with coastal areas attracting Pune and Mumbai residents, while places like Ajanta and Ellora are drawing visitors from outside the state too."
Dhiren Nagpal, secretary of the Mahabaleshwar Hotel Owners' Association, said bookings were high for Friday and Saturday. "It is a mixed crowd of people. Families are largely opting for traditional hotels and resorts, while groups and stags are preferring rental bungalows and similar accommodations," Nagpal added.
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