Pune Metro Route 3: The Pune Metro has yet again missed the deadline to complete the work on route 3, prompting the Information Technology (IT) sector in the city to raise concerns over the delay. The public will have to wait for over a year for the completion of the route, the Mid-Day reported.

The Route 3 connects IT-Hub Hinjewadi with Shivajinagar and is crucial for IT professionals. Stretching 23.33 Km, route 3 is an elevated line. After the delay, the IT association has warned that it could become a reason for further migration from the city.

Recently, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has extended the deadline for Tata and Siemens for the completion of the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro line until September.

The line was initially set for completion ill March 2025. Currently, 85 per cent of the civil work has been completed on the line that stretches 23.33 km.

IT leaders express resentment

President of the Road Forum of IT Employee Pavanjit Mane said, "The IT hub generates the maximum revenue for the government, yet it has been neglected. Hinjewadi has been facing traffic jams, transport problems, and poor road infrastructure for years. Nearly six lakh employees work here, and the Metro is urgently needed. However, the government did not prioritise this route."

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Furthermore, he added, "Additionally, there is no metro connectivity to the airport. Everywhere else, IT parks and airports are the first to get Metro connectivity, but Pune’s Metro decisions seem politically driven rather than practical."

Moreover, former chairman of the Minimum Wages Advisory Committee Dr Raghunath Kuchik said, "The IT industry is already struggling with job cuts due to AI and other technologies. Delaying the metro project, which was supposed to be completed as a priority, shows poor management and planning. This delay has already caused companies to migrate in the last five years."

Additionally, Dnyanendra Hulsure, president of the Hinjawadi Employees and Residents’ Association (HEART), also expressed resentment over the delays. He said, "The original deadline for the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro was 2023, yet we are still struggling with basic transport. Meanwhile, states like Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala are progressing. Microsoft is expanding in Uttar Pradesh, Google is growing in Hyderabad, and Kerala has introduced an AI policy. But what about Maharashtra?"

Traffic congestion issue

India’s top IT hub, Hinjewadi, suffers from severe traffic congestion due to the high number of private vehicles with a lack of sufficient public transport. The bustling area witnesses lakhs of vehicles on a daily basis, despite that, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) runs only about 200 buses.

At peak times, the congestion situation worsens, thereby highlighting an urgent need for functional metro services.

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