The CM’s function at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, followed by his event at Pune Book Fest on FC Road and later his convoy’s movement to the airport, caused heavy traffic jams in all these areas. People also took to social media to highlight the problem caused by VIP movements on already stressed Pune roads. Besides this, an accident on Ganeshkhind Road in the morning also led to traffic jams. Giving a University Road traffic update on his official X account around 7pm, Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole said that “the traffic flow has been restored, and the spillover effect caused by the accident/road closure will reduce significantly in the coming hour.” A Bavdhan resident, Sujoy, who works near Tilak Road, said he wasn’t surprised by Monday’s chaos. “Firstly, it would be great if such movements were announced beforehand so people can plan accordingly. Secondly, we wish VIP movements were arranged on Sundays when we don’t have office or during non-peak hours, instead of during evening rush hours,” he said. Owing to VIP movement, the police were seen actively removing double-parked vehicles on FC Road since afternoon to give more carriageway for vehicles. “Why can’t the police do this every day? Why should the road be cleared only for VIPs?” asked a resident. Another major affected area was Vimannagar. Anita Inamdar, a resident of this area, said, “Though I managed to get out of Vimannagar without much difficulty, I encountered severe congestion soon after. I was heading towards JM Road but was informed that traffic was heavily stalled ahead, including at Sangamwadi and Sancheti Chowk. Not wanting to risk getting stuck for hours, I turned my vehicle around and returned home. I then tried booking a cab instead, but even that proved difficult as cabs were unavailable. Eventually, I had to drop my plan to go to JM Road altogether.”
