Pune: For many in India, Diwali finishes with Bhaubeej (also known as Bhaidooj). Surely for companies and educational institutions, this is the case, as the festive holidays ended on Thursday. In the coming days, as the work schedule resumes for most on Monday, people will now come back to where they stay for employment or education; that is, the Maharashtrian urban duo of Mumbai and Pune cities.
A traffic nightmare is now expected on the side of highways that go towards these cities, as the situation was exactly opposite a few days prior, when people were exiting the cities. So, with people needing to reach Mumbai and Pune, can they avoid traffic and reach them without much trouble? Well, possibly yes.
Traffic Expected on the Weekend
Weeklong holidays were given to most, as Diwali started on Monday with Narak Chaturdashi and for many ended on Thursday with the conclusion of Bhaubeej. With many companies throwing in a holiday on Friday as a continued holiday due to the weekend, workplaces start on Monday. With that, a desperate surge towards Mumbai and Pune, which provide employment and education to millions, is expected.
The majority of this traffic is seen on the highways connecting Mumbai and Pune to other parts of Maharashtra, including Nagpur, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and others. Last weekend, a crowd of people leaving these cities for their native place was seen. As these people had gone out, they will surely come back on the weekend. So what to do to not waste the precious hours of ours doing nothing but an interesting activity like being stuck in traffic? Well, one always has options only if one thinks a bit out of the box.
Possible Solutions
1) Alternate Ways: With a bit of use of technology and guidance from locals, people can beat the traffic by not joining the famous highways. Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Pune-Bengaluru, Pune-Solapur, Pune-Nashik, and Samruddhi Highways are some of the most famous highways. Many people think of these as the only way to reach Mumbai and Pune, but one must know there are enough alternative routes.
For example, a person from Kolhapur is willing to go to Mumbai. What can they do? The Free Press Journal suggests that, rather than going to Pune via the Bengaluru Highway and then taking the Expressway, try something unusual. A detour, perhaps. They can try the route via Sangli, Tasgaon, Vita, and Rahimatpur. Get to the highway on Satara for a bit and then again take a detour via Lonand, Jejuri, Uruli Kanchan, and to Pune. Then go to Mumbai via the old Mumbai-Pune Highway, which will surely have less traffic compared to the motorway, experts noted.
These routes can be found with the help of Google Maps and a bit of advice from local citizens. So socialise and interact kindly, and people of India will always help you.
2) Study Maps: One can take a look at Google Maps and see the major congestion points or bottlenecks on the highway and just avoid them. For example, one will face traffic near Chakan if they are travelling from Nashik to Pune, so if you find a way to avoid Chakan, it can help you. In severe traffic issues like this, one must remember a detour of 50 km is worth it, because travelling 50 km more will just waste your one hour. But stuck in bad traffic congestion like the people experienced pre-Diwali? Well, they reported they were stuck for more than three to four hours.
3) Start Very Early or Very Late: Starting your journey early in the morning at the crack of dawn or as late as the clock strikes midnight, you can have a huge advantage of time. Many people prefer to travel after sunrise, so basically they start travelling at 7 or 8 am. Since you possibly start hours before them, you can avoid the traffic and do so. However, if possible at all, we would suggest you wait for a few days and then return. Maybe ask your employer for a work-from-home arrangement.
Beware of Rain!
The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) weather forecast says that in the coming days, rainfall might take place in Maharashtra. Rains have started withdrawing, and one must be aware of the rainfall. So check the weather before you embark on the journey, as definitely rain will result in increased traffic congestion.
