Pune: Stuck in Traffic Daily, IT Professionals Push for Early Launch of Hinjawadi–Baner Metro Section

Hinjawadi, 24th December 2025: For thousands of IT professionals battling bumper-to-bumper traffic every day in Hinjawadi and surrounding areas, relief may still be months away. With the full Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar Metro corridor unlikely to be operational by March next year, IT employees have urged authorities to immediately start metro services on the Hinjawadi–Baner stretch as an interim solution.

The demand has been formally submitted to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) by the Forum for IT Employees, which highlighted the severe congestion faced daily by commuters in Hinjawadi, Wakad, and Baner, home to one of Pune’s largest IT hubs.

According to the forum, delays in completing the entire corridor should not stall public transport benefits where infrastructure is already nearing readiness. “A phased rollout of metro services will provide instant relief to thousands of daily commuters and help decongest key arterial roads,” the forum stated in its representation.

The 23.3-km Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar Metro line was originally scheduled to be operational by March 2026, but officials have acknowledged that completing the entire corridor within that deadline appears unlikely. In light of this, IT employees have proposed starting operations from Hinjawadi IT Park Phase 3 up to Baner, where traffic congestion is at its worst during peak hours.

To assess commuter sentiment, the forum conducted a poll on social media platform X, which saw strong participation from IT professionals. The results revealed that 59 per cent of respondents favoured the immediate launch of metro services up to Baner. Another 15 per cent felt the full corridor would not be ready even by March next year, while 26 per cent believed complete operations may be delayed until November 2026.

IT employees have repeatedly raised concerns over worsening traffic conditions, prompting earlier directions from the Chief Minister and senior ministers to explore long-term solutions. The forum stressed that a partial metro launch would benefit not just IT workers, but also residents and daily commuters across the western suburbs.

Trial Runs Conducted up to Balewadi
PMRDA officials confirmed that trial runs on the Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar Metro line were successfully conducted in July, with the first trial flagged off on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. The test run covered the stretch from Maan Depot to Balewadi Stadium Station (Station No. 10).

Once fully operational, the metro corridor is expected to play a critical role in easing Pune’s mounting traffic congestion and improving connectivity between the city’s core and its IT belt.