Ganeshotsav Rush Chokes Thane’s Konkan Corridor; Buses Take Hours To Reach Mumbai-Goa Highway

Thane witnessed a massive traffic choke during the Ganeshotsav exodus towards the Konkan region on Saturday, according to reports. Thousands of private vehicles, MSRTC buses and private tourist coaches were seen heading towards the Mumbai-Goa highway (NH 66). Key feeder routes like the Mumbra Bypass, Majiwada flyover and Shilphata–Kattai road stretch were severely congested, causing lengthy traffic queues that spilt back towards Navi Mumbai and Thane's border areas.

Motorists complained that stretches which usually take less time were taking several hours to navigate. Snehal Kulkarni, a motorist near Mumbra Bypass, stated, "Getting out of Thane city turned into a real test of patience. The entire stretch connecting Shilphata to the highway link was choked bumper-to-bumper, and even local city buses were completely trapped in the festival exodus."

Shrirang Barge, general secretary of the Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress, noted that the surge in bus movement towards the Konkan region was contributing to the delays. He explained, "Bus movement towards Ratnagiri and other parts of the Konkan region is currently very high. There is a possibility of delays as the number of buses operating on particular routes has suddenly increased. More than 5,200 buses are operating on these routes."

Rohan Pawar, who travelled by MSRTC bus from Parel depot to Sawantwadi, reported heavy traffic on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. "I took a bus from Parel depot to Sawantwadi, but there was heavy traffic on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. It took almost two hours just to reach Panvel," he said. Deepak Chavan, working president of the Ganeshbhakt Konkanvasi Pravas Sangh, blamed construction on several Mumbai-Goa highway stretches and market area congestion for the delays. He added, "A bus that left Mumbai yesterday took nearly 12 hours to reach Chiplun."