Pune: Our employees lose one hour daily due to traffic congestion: Mercedes-Benz head
Pune: The head of a big automobile MNC has expressed his frustration over the traffic scenario. Mercedes-Benz India MD & CEO Santosh Iyer has said, “Our employees’ daily commute has increased by one hour due to traffic jams in Chakan. We are forced to change the bus schedule. Our staffers cannot give time to their families as their daily journey to the company and back home has increased. This has adversely affected the balance between their personal and professional lives.”
Mercedes-Benz has its production unit in the MIDC, Chakan. Traffic issues in the Chakan area have impacted many industries. When asked to comment, Santosh Iyer said, “Traffic jams are frequent in Chakan. It is not very bad in the morning but worsens in the evening. This has increased our employees’ commuting time by one hour. We had to change the bus schedule due to this. As they reach home late by one hour, their families are deprived of their presence. This is adversely affecting the balance between their personal and professional lives.”
He added: “We have demanded with the government that immediate steps should be taken to solve traffic congestion in the Chakan MIDC area. The government is taking some immediate measures. I hope the situation will improve in 10-15 days.”
MBIL unveils two new cars
Mercedes-Benz India Ltd launched two motor cars: GLC 43 4MATIC Coupe and CLE 300 Cabriolet MG Line. Company MD & CEO Santosh Iyer said, “Our sales in Pune have increased by 11 pc. One-fourth of the sold cars are top-end models. Pune’s share in total sales in the country is 3 pc. Demand for our EVs is also growing.”
QUOTES
“Encroachments on the roads have been removed to solve traffic issues in Chakan. Immediate road-widening is needed here. The Traffic Police should deploy more manpower to control traffic. They should focus on long-term measures to solve the issues.”
- Dilip Batwal, Secretary, Federation of Chakan Industries
“Encroachments in Chakan Chowk have been demolished. Heavy vehicles have been banned during peak hours. Potholes in front of the Mercedes-Benz company and on other roads have been filled. A tender will be floated to fix potholes in the long term. We will expedite the work once the rainfall stops.”
- SN Chaudekar, Executive Engineer, MIDC
