Traffic Jam On Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway Enters 5th Day; School Buses, Ambulances Stranded Amid Chaos

Palghar: The traffic nightmare on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH-48) has stretched into its fifth consecutive day, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and exposing deep-rooted infrastructure and traffic management failures. The massive congestion near Vasai and Palghar has paralyzed movement for hours, trapping school buses, ambulances, and heavy vehicles in seemingly endless queues.

Officials say the gridlock was triggered by ongoing road repair work and the diversion of heavy vehicles, but the chaos has now spiraled out of control. NH-48, a key link between Maharashtra and Gujarat, serves as a vital economic corridor, yet it remains plagued by poor planning and incomplete infrastructure upgrades.

On Tuesday evening, the crisis took a distressing turn when around 12 school buses carrying students from Classes 5 to 10 were stuck in traffic for nearly 12 hours while returning from a picnic near Virar. Many children reportedly went without food or water for hours, prompting distress among parents, according to report by India Today. Volunteers from a local social organisation distributed biscuits and water to the stranded students.

Former MAMFDC chairman and educationist Javed Shroff praised MNS chief Raj Thackeray for swiftly mobilising party workers to assist nearly 500 stranded students. “Appreciate the yeomen & good initiative of Shri Raj Thackeray ji to have made arrangements for the students stuck in traffic and provided safe passage,” Shroff wrote on X, lauding the humanitarian effort.

The ordeal has forced several schools across Mumbai to rethink travel plans. According to Anil Garg, chairman of the Educational Tour Operators Association, more than 20 schools have postponed upcoming picnics 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 according to a report by Midday.

For residents of Vasai-Virar, NH-48 remains the only practical route to Mumbai. Alternative options, such as the Ro-Ro ferry service, are overcrowded, with vehicle queues stretching up to 125 cars. With daily commuters, truckers, and students caught in the gridlock, frustration and anger continue to mount, a stark reminder of Mumbai’s worsening infrastructure crisis.

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