Pune: PMC Holds One-Day Workshop on Urban Mobility Focusing on Short-Term Measures, Big Data, Clean Air, and TOD-Based Strategies
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 17th February 2026: In a bid to improve urban mobility in Pune, the Municipal Corporation organized a one-day workshop on the critical subject of Urban Mobility at Bal Gandharva Rangmandir. The workshop was conducted under the orders of Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, with a large gathering of officials and staff from various PMC departments in attendance.
The program was graced by Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, Deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar, BJP Group Leader Ganesh Bidkar, and Leader of Opposition Nilesh Nikam, who shared their views and emphasized that the administration should take concrete steps to make travel in Pune safer, faster, and more convenient for citizens.
Mayor Nagpure, in her address, stated: “Effectively utilizing the resources available to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is essential to decongest the city. Emphasis must be placed on short-term, immediately implementable measures that encourage citizens to use public transport, buses, and metro services. Initiatives such as deploying personnel to conduct on-ground surveys and identify problem areas will enable the administration to work more dynamically.”
Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram highlighted that for 2026, PMC will work in coordination with other government departments to improve roads and traffic management. He emphasized that big data related to transportation will be utilized to analyze traffic patterns, congestion points, and problems to implement effective solutions. He also stressed the need for capital-intensive projects to be planned and executed strategically with a long-term perspective.
Detailed Presentations on Mobility Improvement Measures
City Engineer Aniruddh Pawaskar delivered a detailed presentation on measures to improve traffic conditions in Pune in the coming year and beyond. Chief Engineer Rajesh Bankar and Chief Project Engineer Dinkar Gojare shared information on initiatives to be implemented over a one-year period.
Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil provided detailed guidance on traffic discipline, enforcement, and the use of technology.
Representatives from IITM presented important insights on Pune’s air quality and its implications.
The workshop underscored the significance of clean air, discussing how reducing private vehicle usage and increasing the adoption of public transport, buses, and metro services could substantially reduce emissions and pollution. The need to develop key roads in Pune, such as J.M. Road and F.C. Road, as pedestrian, cyclist, and public-life-friendly streets was also emphasized.
National and International Expertise on Best Practices
In the afternoon session, experts from national and international organizations presented best practices in urban transportation systems. Representatives from Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), Oasis Designs, Design Point (Ahmedabad), and RKD shared practical, implementable solutions.
As part of the session, the NIUA, New Delhi, presented ongoing work with Pune Municipal Corporation under the UrbanShift initiative, focusing on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). The objectives of this initiative include developing guiding principles for TOD, creating station-area plans, and implementing a pilot project at the Shivajinagar Metro Station.
Urban mobility planner Nikhil Mijar held discussions on TOD with leading builders and architects in Pune, focusing on development around metro stations and redevelopment strategies. Experts from CREDAI, MBVA, NAREDCO, AESA, and IIA participated in the dialogue.
Suggestions and ideas presented by various stakeholders during the workshop were recorded and will be incorporated into the station-area mobility plans.
The entire program was coordinated by Chief Project Engineer Dinkar Gojare and Urban Mobility Planner Nikhil Mijar.
The workshop concluded with a call for all PMC departments to regularly organize such workshops and for engineers across the corporation to fully utilize these sessions to make determined efforts toward achieving the municipal corporation’s objectives in the coming year.
