On the third day of the Coldplay concert series, traffic on the Sion-Panvel Highway was relatively lighter compared to the chaos witnessed on the first day. However, commuters returning home from offices still experienced delays of approximately 30 minutes due to congestion near key junctions. The event, which has attracted thousands of fans from across the region, has led to congestion on major routes leading to the venue. The highway, a vital link for daily commuters, has been particularly affected during the evening hours when office goers are returning home.
“We had appealed to the commuters to use Palm Beach road instead of the main highways which helped in reducing the traffic on the highway. Yet, there were jams at the main junctions which we managed with the help of our staff. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation too provided 40 buses to help the attendees reach their gates after the parking which helped in managing the traffic well,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) Tirupati Kakade, said.
To reduce the amount of traffic, there were traffic diversions, parking bans made by Navi Mumbai traffic department. To reduce congestion, the Navi Mumbai Police had prohibited heavy vehicles from entering the city between 2 PM and 11 PM on concert days. Key areas, including the LP Bridge Signal to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk and Shani Mandir Arch to Bhimashankar Chowk, were declared no-parking zones. Motorists were urged to use alternative routes for smoother travel. Drivers are advised to take the Nerul Station Road to Shivaji Chowk and proceed via Palm Beach Road to avoid high-traffic areas.
To ensure safety and manage the crowd inside the stadium, a team comprising one Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), 70 officers, and 434 personnel were on duty daily. In the surrounding areas, another DCP, 21 officers, and 440 staff are managing traffic and public safety. Plainclothes officers were stationed to monitor for suspicious activity.
Rahul Sharma, a banker from Belapur who usually takes Sion Panvel highway to reach home, had to take Palm Beach road in order to avoid the traffic jam. “Usually it takes around 15 minutes for me to reach home but today, it took close to 45 minutes even after I avoided major jam which was on the highway,” Sharma said.
