October 16, 2025: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH-48) has been mired in a massive traffic jam for the fifth consecutive day, affecting thousands of commuters and exposing critical infrastructure and traffic management failures. Congestion near Vasai and Palghar has brought movement to a standstill, leaving school buses, ambulances, and heavy vehicles stranded in long queues.
Officials attribute the gridlock to ongoing road repair work and the diversion of heavy vehicles, but the situation has quickly spiraled into chaos. NH-48, a key economic corridor connecting Maharashtra and Gujarat, continues to struggle with incomplete infrastructure upgrades and inadequate planning.
On Tuesday evening, the crisis escalated when around 12 school buses carrying students from Classes 5 to 10 were stuck for nearly 12 hours while returning from a picnic near Virar. Many children reportedly went without food or water for extended periods, causing distress among parents. Volunteers from a local social organization provided biscuits and water to the stranded students.
Former MAMFDC chairman and educationist Javed Shroff praised MNS chief Raj Thackeray for mobilising party workers to assist nearly 500 stranded students, tweeting, “Appreciate the yeomen & good initiative of Shri Raj Thackeray ji to have made arrangements for the students stuck in traffic and provided safe passage.”
The ordeal has prompted Mumbai schools to revise travel plans. Anil Garg, chairman of the Educational Tour Operators Association, noted that over 20 schools have postponed trips to Vasai until after Diwali. “Even today, two buses from Nashik carrying 64 students from a Kandivli-based school were delayed by two hours,” he said.
For Vasai-Virar residents, NH-48 remains the primary route to Mumbai. Alternative options, like the Ro-Ro ferry service, are overcrowded, with vehicle queues reaching 125 cars. Daily commuters, students, and truckers continue to face mounting frustration, highlighting the urgent need for improved infrastructure and traffic management in the region.
Source: The Free Press Journal
