Police have directed the operator of a CNG and petrol pump on the Bhuigaon-Arnala road in Vasai to make arrangements for vehicles waiting to refuel and to take corrective action over traffic congestion, prompting local residents to temporarily suspend a planned road blockade.
The fuel station is located along the Bhuigaon-Arnala road in western Vasai, an important route connecting the western belt of Vasai-Virar city with Arnala. Residents had warned of a protest against repeated traffic jams near the pump and had submitted an application to the police station announcing a planned ‘rasta roko’ on the Vasai-Arnala main road on October 2.
According to the report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar, the congestion is linked particularly to queues for CNG refuelling. Four-wheelers reportedly line up on one side of the main road, while autorickshaws form a separate queue on the other side. Vehicles waiting on the road reduce the available carriageway and create difficulties for through traffic.
Local residents have also complained that autorickshaws sometimes turn suddenly towards the pump from the queue, creating a risk of minor and serious accidents. Drivers using the route are frequently forced to remain stuck in traffic because of the queues and the sudden movement of vehicles near the station.
The police intervention followed the residents’ warning of a protest. The pump operator was instructed to provide arrangements for vehicles waiting to enter the station and was also directed to take action to address the obstruction caused by the CNG queues. Following these directions, the proposed protest was temporarily suspended.
The dispute has brought attention to the way roadside fuel stations can affect traffic movement when vehicle queues extend onto an important public road. In this case, the issue is not limited to delays at the station itself. The queues occupy space on both sides of the Bhuigaon-Arnala road, while vehicles entering the pump can cut across the movement of traffic, according to complaints cited in the report.
Residents had demanded that the obstruction created by the CNG station be removed. They had also raised the possibility of keeping the petrol pump open or closed at night as part of their protest demand. The available report does not specify whether any change in the station’s operating hours has been ordered.
The police directions and the temporary suspension of the protest place the immediate responsibility on the pump operator to organise refuelling queues and reduce the impact on the main road. The next step will depend on whether the arrangements prevent queues from spilling onto the carriageway and address the safety complaints raised by local residents.
