Festival rush snarls traffic at Gultekdi APMC market yard in Pune; traders seek urgent intervention

Gultekdi, Pune, November 3, 2026: Severe traffic congestion has hit the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market yard at Gultekdi in Pune. The jam, coming at the height of the festival rush, has raised concerns about traffic planning and public safety.

Movement of heavy trucks, tempos and other supply vehicles carrying grain, dry fruits, groceries and seasonal farm produce has increased. As a result, traffic is said to have come to a standstill at many places inside the market premises. Heavy crowding is also said to be reported at all the main entry and exit routes, including Gates 1 to 5.

Vehicles are being parked wherever the drivers please on the narrow internal roads. This has blocked those roads, made it difficult for other vehicles to move ahead and created bottlenecks across the market. The situation has worsened because there are not enough traffic police and APMC security marshals at key junctions, it is said.

Traders and local volunteers are said to be trying to manage traffic by hand themselves. However, they get no official help and there is no coordinated arrangement, so they are finding it hard to control the growing number of vehicles.

A formal complaint has been sent to the APMC administration, Pune traffic police and officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), seeking urgent intervention in the situation.

The complaint makes several demands. It asks for dedicated staff to be deployed for traffic at all major gates and internal junctions, for fixed loading and unloading times for heavy vehicles, for illegally parked vehicles to be removed, and for a one-way traffic system to be introduced within the market premises.

Concern has also been expressed that blocked internal roads could make it difficult for ambulances and fire brigade vehicles to reach the market.

Festival trade is at its peak and supply vehicles continue to arrive. The situation at one of Pune's major wholesale trading centres has raised questions about preparedness and action. Traders and people visiting the market are now waiting for the authorities concerned to take steps to restore smooth traffic and spare the public further inconvenience.