November 26, 2025: Thane, a crucial transit hub connecting Mumbai to Maharashtra and Gujarat, is grappling with some of its worst-ever traffic congestion as vehicle growth far outpaces road capacity, according to city traffic officials. A recent review by the traffic department shows that Thane, with a population of 1.8 million, now hosts more than 1.65 million vehicles—almost one per resident—putting enormous pressure on its limited and ageing road network.
The city’s 350 km of roads, including major corridors such as the Eastern Express Highway, Mumbai–Nashik National Highway, and Ghodbunder Road, have not expanded at a pace needed to support the mounting vehicular load. Congestion is further aggravated by narrow stretches in the older parts of the city, chronic parking shortages, ongoing construction and infrastructure works that block key lanes, and the heavy movement of trucks and outstation buses along the highways that cut through Thane. Illegal vehicles add another layer of complexity to the problem.
Traffic officials pointed out that rampant redevelopment, which has replaced old structures with high-rises, has added to the burden, with both population and vehicle ownership rising almost fivefold in recent years. Commuters now routinely face long delays during peak hours. “It is no less than an achievement to cross the city limits within 45 minutes from Ghodbunder Highway to the fringes at Anand Nagar during peak hours,” said commuter Pramod Shukla. Another regular traveller from Kasarwadavli to Goregaon said it takes him at least two hours each way, with even minor disruptions worsening the ordeal.
Deputy Commissioner of Traffic Pankaj Shirsat cautioned that congestion may soon spill deeper into residential pockets unless residents reduce their reliance on private vehicles. “Citizens must prioritise public transport to reduce congestion,” he urged.
Experts, meanwhile, criticised the planning failures of the civic body, arguing that haphazard approvals for large residential complexes without parallel road development have left the system overstretched. “The gated complexes along Ghodbunder Highway were approved by the municipal corporation without apparently giving a thought to the need to develop parallel roads… The corporation also failed to develop a robust public transport system in Thane, leaving residents to the mercy of autos,” an expert noted.
