Mumbai Traffic Chaos: Mankhurd Gridlock Strands 19 ST Buses For Hours On Sion–Panvel Highway

Mumbai: A major traffic gridlock in Mankhurd on Wednesday night left at least 19 State Transport (ST) buses stranded for hours, forcing hundreds of passengers to remain stuck on the Sion–Panvel Highway for up to six hours. The disruption, triggered by a crane or drilling machine collapse during ongoing flyover construction, brought traffic to a near standstill from Tuesday night through Wednesday.

The worst impact was seen between 6 pm and 10 pm, when buses departing from Mumbai got caught in the congestion. A routine 15-minute journey between Chembur and Mankhurd stretched to nearly six hours, with long vehicle queues turning the stretch into a bottleneck. According to officials, 12 buses from Mumbai Central depot and 7 from Kurla depot were affected. Some services were delayed by up to 12 hours, disrupting schedules and subsequent trips.

Passengers faced severe hardship due to lack of drinking water, food, and access to toilets. Commuter Prashant Sadafule, who shared visuals from the spot, questioned the management, saying overcrowding continued despite claims of additional buses being deployed.

Officials attributed the chaos to delayed incoming buses and widespread congestion. The incident has raised serious concerns over traffic management and safety planning at construction sites, especially on key arterial routes.