Mumbai–Ahmedabad highway jam enters day 5: Students among thousands stranded for hours

The long queues have caused massive inconvenience, with ambulances stuck, passengers missing flights and trains, and vehicles crawling for kilometres near Vasai and Palghar.

Traffic congestion on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad highway has continued for the fifth straight day on Thursday, leaving thousands of commuters and truck drivers stranded for hours.

The long queues have caused massive inconvenience, with ambulances stuck, passengers missing flights and trains, and vehicles crawling for kilometres near Vasai and Palghar.

The jam allegedly began due to ongoing road repair work and the diversion of heavy vehicles. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad stretch of National Highway 48 (NH-48) is one of India’s busiest routes, connecting Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Despite being an important trade and travel corridor, the highway remains plagued by poor planning and delays in repair work.

Commuters vent anger on social media

As frustration mounted, several travellers took to social media to express anger over the chaos. One user on X shared how a journey that once took five hours stretched to 19 hours due to the closure.

“A few years ago, I drove from Mumbai to Udaipur in about nine hours. Yesterday my nephew and friend took 19 HOURS. They were stuck for over five hours after Vasai due to road repairs. Terrible situation overall,” wrote Sandip Sabharwal.

A few years back I drove from Mumbai to Udaipur and reached there in around 9 hours

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Yesterday my nephew and a friend drove down the same route.

They took 19 HOURS. A part of Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway was closed for repairs and they were stuck in traffic for over 5 hours after…

— sandip sabharwal (@sandipsabharwal) October 16, 2025

Another user questioned why authorities failed to manage heavy traffic during repairs. “Why not stop heavy transport for a day and only allow essential goods movement till the Ghodbunder roadwork is done?” said a user.

Others described the situation as unbearable. “Really bad situation. We can’t even think of going towards Virar, forget Ahmedabad,” wrote Sanjiv.

Another commuter went as far as recommending to handover the NH to Army. “I feel NH48, WEH, Vakola flyover should be handed over to Army," he said.

School buses stuck overnight in the jam

The gridlock turned into a nightmare for several students when 12 school buses from Thane and Mumbai were trapped in traffic for nearly 12 hours. The buses, carrying students from classes 5 to 10 returning from a picnic near Virar, were stuck from 5.30 pm on Tuesday until early Wednesday morning, according to officials quoted by PTI.

Many children allegedly went without food or water for hours. They waited helplessly as parents worried about their safety.

Volunteers from a local social group eventually reached the area, distributing biscuits and water and helping drivers navigate the packed lanes. “The students were crying due to hunger and exhaustion. It was heartbreaking to see them suffer because of poor traffic management,” News18 quoted an activist as saying.