The traffic crisis on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH-48) has entered its fifth straight day, stranding thousands of commuters and laying bare severe infrastructure and traffic management lapses. The congestion near Vasai and Palghar has brought movement to a near standstill, leaving school buses, ambulances, and heavy vehicles trapped for hours in seemingly endless queues.
Officials attribute the gridlock to ongoing road repair work and diversion of heavy vehicles, but the situation has spiraled out of control. NH-48, a lifeline connecting Maharashtra and Gujarat and one of India’s busiest economic corridors, continues to suffer from poor planning and incomplete infrastructure upgrades.
The crisis deepened on Tuesday evening when nearly a dozen school buses carrying students from Classes 5 to 10 were stranded for nearly 12 hours while returning from a picnic near Virar. Several students reportedly went without food or water, sparking panic among parents. Volunteers from a local social organisation distributed biscuits and water to the stranded children, according to a report by India Today.
Former MAMFDC chairman and educationist Javed Shroff praised MNS chief Raj Thackeray for swiftly mobilising party workers to help 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 response.
Appreciate the Yeomen & Good Initiative of Shri @RajThackeray ji to have made arrangements for the students stuck in traffic on the highway & provided safe passage. Best Regards. @mnsadhikrut
— Javed Shroff (@JavedShroff) October 15, 2025
The ordeal has forced several Mumbai schools to postpone their educational trips. Anil Garg, chairman of the Educational Tour Operators Association, confirmed that more than 20 schools have delayed 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.
For residents of Vasai-Virar, NH-48 remains the only viable route to Mumbai. Alternative travel options such as the Ro-Ro ferry service are overcrowded, with vehicle queues stretching up to 125 cars. As commuters, truckers, and students remain caught in gridlock, frustration and anger continue to grow—highlighting yet again Mumbai’s crumbling infrastructure and lack of effective urban planning.
