Pune: Lonavala Faces Tourist Rush, Traffic Disruptions; Police Step Up Security Measures

Pune, 9th July 2023: Lonavala, a popular tourist destination, witnessed a surge in tourist arrivals on Sunday, leading to significant traffic disruptions in the city and surrounding areas.

A large influx of tourists from various parts of Maharashtra state, including Pune and Mumbai, resulted in queues of vehicles clogging the roads of Lonavala and the route to Bhushi Dam.

During the monsoon season, Saturdays and Sundays tend to attract a high number of visitors to Lonavala. To address the ongoing crisis and prevent traffic congestion and related issues, Sub Divisional Police Officer Satyasai Karthik has ordered an increase in security measures and transportation planning. Additional police forces have been deployed, and the assistance of volunteers has been enlisted to alleviate the traffic situation in Lonavala. The combined efforts of the police and volunteers successfully managed to defuse the traffic congestion and restore normalcy in the city.

However, due to the large influx of tourists arriving by car, the traffic flow was severely impacted, resulting in slow-moving vehicles and long queues along the main roads, internal streets, and the road leading to Bhushi Dam. Authorities have repeatedly advised tourists not to stop their vehicles on the road, urging them to adhere to traffic regulations.

To tackle the traffic congestion, certain roads were diverted, and a step-by-step release of vehicles was implemented by temporarily closing one-way traffic. Areas such as the old Mumbai-Pune highway passing through Lonavala, Bhushi Dam, Lions Point road, Bhaje Caves, Karla Caves, Lohgad Fort, and Pavananagar experienced significant traffic congestion since Saturday. The police have taken measures to address encroachments on the Malvali-Bhaje road, and parking of vehicles has been prohibited in the Karla Phata area.