Pune: Heavy rain across the city on Friday derailed weekend travel plans, with many residents cancelling or postponing trips to Mumbai fearing landslides, highway disruptions, and traffic snarls.The impact was most visible on intercity buses, which ran largely empty despite the usual weekend rush.Akash Joshi, a bank employee working on Boat Club Road, cancelled his Mumbai visit after assessing the weather. “The last time it rained this heavily earlier this month, a landslide occurred at the ‘missing link’ on Pune-Mumbai Expressway. Train services were disrupted, and tracks were only cleared a few days ago. I didn’t want to take risk,” he told TOI.MSRTC officials reported a sharp drop in passenger numbers on Pune-Mumbai route as commuters deferred travel. “Buses between the two cities are operating normally, but there are hardly any passengers. Most buses leaving Pune are nearly empty, while those arriving from Mumbai are carrying only 10 to 12 passengers on an average,” a senior MSRTC official said.He added that while Fridays through Tuesdays usually see high demand, with 100 to 150 MSRTC buses of various categories operating at full capacity, this weekend has been an exception. “People normally travel to visit family, but fear of landslides and traffic jams has kept them away. Interestingly, bus operations remain normal as Mumbai has not yet witnessed rain of the same intensity as Pune,” he noted.Saroj Parker, a Baner resident who works in Pune but lives in Borivali, also adjusted his plans. “I have a family function on Saturday. Instead of the bus, I’ll try the train. I’ve been monitoring Central Railway’s social media updates, and services seem stable so far. However, because of the downpour, my family insisted I postpone the journey,” he said.Cab operators also reported a steep decline in bookings. “We have seen virtually no passengers from Pune today. Even as a driver, I am hesitant to navigate the highway in these conditions,” said a cab driver on the Pune-Mumbai route. Kothrud resident Sameet Barve, who cancelled his cab booking, added, “My elderly mother was traveling with me. If we had been stranded in a long traffic jam, it would have been very difficult for her.”Railway authorities confirmed that train services on the Pune-Lonavla ghat section remained normal through Friday evening. The stretch had previously been hit by major landslides on July 5 and 6, which took 24 days to fully restore. “Train movements are normal so far,” said Pune railway division PRO Hemant Kumar Behera. Other officials confirmed that personnel are patrolling the Karjat-Lonavla ghat section to monitor vulnerable spots and ensure a swift response to any incidents.Within the city, PMPML bus services continued to operate, though waterlogging and congestion caused significant delays. By 5 pm, approximately 60 buses had suffered breakdowns across Pune. “Traffic congestion has significantly delayed services across several routes,” said PMPML PRO Kishor Chauhan.At Pune airport, director Santosh Dhoke confirmed that flight operations remained functional without cancellations or diversions, though many flights experienced moderate delays due to the weather.
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