20-km jam on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway strands commuters overnight over Pradip Purnekar murder protest

Heavy congestion built up on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway in the lanes leading towards Mumbai and Thane, causing severe hardship to commuters. Long queues of vehicles stretched for about 15 to 20 km, from the Versova bridge to the Virar limits.

The jam began on Tuesday night (October 27) and continued till Wednesday morning. Many drivers were stuck on the highway for hours.

It has been stated that a protest called over the Pradip Purnekar murder case in Thane directly affected highway traffic. Because of the protest, traffic towards Mumbai and Thane was thrown into disarray. Traffic was restarted at a slow pace on Wednesday morning, but with the sheer number of vehicles, it was likely to take time for the jam to clear.

Office-goers, labourers and schoolchildren who set out for work in the morning bore the brunt of the jam. The queues on the highway were so long that many found it difficult to reach their destinations on time.

School examinations are under way these days, which added to the children's difficulties. Children and their parents had to rush about to reach exam centres on time. Concern was also expressed that the jam could cost children their studies.

Bhavika Bhoir, a local resident living near the highway, expressed anger over the jam. She said, "We left for school with the children at 6.45 am. But we had to remain stuck in the jam for a full two hours. People living near the highway face such problems all the time."

Bhavika Bhoir also said that if such a jam occurs during children's exams, it could cost them their studies. She therefore demanded that the administration manage traffic properly.

The congestion has once again raised the question of traffic management in the area. Traffic on the highway is already very heavy. The incident made clear that it is necessary to plan alternative routes and traffic diversions effectively when protests are held.

The jam is wasting people's valuable time and affecting the daily routine of employees, labourers and children going to work and school. It will therefore be important for the traffic police to act in time and to inform commuters about alternative routes. The administration appealed to those travelling on the highway to plan their journeys after checking current traffic conditions.