At around 5:30 PM on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, a huge traffic congestion developed on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Palghar district of Maharashtra and stranded more than 500 students and passengers for almost 12 hours. The jam started at around 5:30 PM on the outskirts of Vasai and continued up to early Wednesday morning, inflicting maximum distress on the victims.
The Ordeal
Twelve buses, with students of Classes 5 to 10 of some schools and also some college students from Mumbai and Thane, were stuck in the traffic while coming back from a school picnic around Virar. The students, numerous of whom were tired and worried, had to sit without food or water for hours. By the evening, many of them were weeping from hunger and fatigue, which tells us how bad things were.
Reasons behind the Congestion
The traffic congestion was allegedly caused by the rerouting of heavy vehicles because of the repair works ongoing on the Ghodbunder road in Thane. The rerouting caused an excessive traffic load on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad road, worsening the jam.
Response at the Community Level
As the situation worsened, people from a local social group hurried to the location. They handed out water and biscuits to stranded kids and helped drivers maneuver through the jammed lanes. Some buses took diversions, while others crept forward slowly through the jam. The final stranded bus arrived at its destination around 6 AM on Wednesday, putting an end to the twelve-hour ordeal.
Public Backlash and Criticism
The parents and local residents had equally sharp words to say, blaming the disturbance squarely on poor planning and lack of coordination between the responsible agencies. One of the parents said, “Our children were left helpless for hours. There was no police, no information, no system in place.” Citizens are now demanding that the traffic department and civic authorities take prompt corrective steps to avoid such incidents in the future, particularly whenever road repair work and traffic diversions are scheduled.
Official Response
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Vasai, Poornima Chowgule-Shringi, confirmed the extent of the traffic congestion and said police were making every effort to clear the road. Although the situation was gradually improving, movement of vehicles was still slow.
This event calls for a greater need for improved traffic control and contingency planning to secure the safety and well-being of commuters and students during peak congestion. It also accentuates the necessity of prompt communication and coordination among authorities to avoid such alarming situations in the future.
