Over 1.5 Lakh Rickshaws in Pune; PMC Plans Cap on New Permits
Pune, 28th October 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Police are considering restrictions on issuing new auto-rickshaw permits to help reduce growing traffic congestion in the city. Officials said a proposal will soon be sent to the state government to impose a cap on new rickshaw licenses, as the city is already struggling with over 1.5 lakh registered rickshaws and a rapid rise in private vehicle ownership.
A joint meeting between the PMC and Pune Police was held at the municipal corporation headquarters to review traffic management efforts. This was the third such meeting in the past three months. Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil, Additional Municipal Commissioner Omprakash Divte, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Himmat Jadhav were among those present.
During the meeting, officials discussed the report of a physical survey conducted on 32 major roads and 52 intersections across Pune. The survey identified key causes of congestion, leading to several immediate corrective actions.
“Measures such as removing electricity poles obstructing traffic, reducing the extra width of footpaths, improving stormwater chambers, and clearing encroachments are being implemented. These efforts have already helped improve traffic flow,” said Additional Commissioner Omprakash Divte.
He added that despite these improvements, traffic pressure continues to increase due to the addition of nearly four lakh private vehicles every year. “With the increase in auto-rickshaw permits, the number has crossed one and a half lakh. If the trend continues, road congestion will worsen. Hence, a request will be made to the state government to restrict new rickshaw licenses,” Divte said.
Officials also noted that long-term solutions such as expanding the Metro network and increasing the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus fleet are being pursued. However, more emphasis is currently being placed on short-term measures to manage congestion effectively.
Meanwhile, differences surfaced during the meeting as municipal and police officials reportedly blamed each other for the worsening traffic situation. Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram intervened to ease tensions, saying, “If both departments work in coordination, effective solutions can be implemented.”
