Mumbai’s festive spirit was overshadowed by mounting frustration on Friday as major road corridors across the city choked under heavy Diwali traffic. From the Western Express Highway to Dadar TT Circle and Kurla, commuters found themselves trapped in kilometre-long queues, some waiting for hours amid honking chaos and stalled movement. The gridlock, intensified by shopping rush and festive travel, turned the evening commute into a test of patience for thousands.
According to civic traffic updates, congestion began building up in the afternoon and peaked by early evening. Market areas such as Dadar, Kurla, and Ghatkopar witnessed dense vehicular flow as last-minute Diwali shoppers thronged retail streets. Highways leading into suburban areas like Goregaon, Pathanwadi, and the Mumbai-Nashik corridor also remained gridlocked well past nightfall, with reports of near-stagnant traffic for over an hour in several stretches. Commuters flooded social media platforms to vent their frustration, tagging officials and demanding immediate traffic management. Many shared images and videos showing unending queues of vehicles, with complaints that there were few or no police officers visible at key choke points. One commuter stuck near Dadar TT described the chaos as “complete breakdown,” while another reported that an ambulance remained trapped in a jam for over an hour near Pathanwadi, receiving no assistance.
Experts noted that Mumbai’s recurring festive gridlocks expose the limitations of its road network and lack of real-time traffic coordination. Despite years of planning, the city’s road infrastructure remains stretched far beyond capacity, with limited parking space, narrow arterial lanes, and unmanaged intersections worsening the situation. The absence of adequate on-ground enforcement during peak hours has also been a recurring concern raised by transport specialists. Officials have attributed Friday’s congestion to the combination of festive shopping, weekend travel, and vehicle inflow from adjoining suburbs. However, civic observers argue that the situation could have been mitigated with better pre-festival planning, staggered traffic diversions, and increased police presence at key junctions. The traffic department, according to sources, had issued advisories earlier in the week, but they appear to have had limited impact on actual movement.
As Mumbai’s skyline shimmered with Diwali lights, its streets told a contrasting story — one of gridlocked chaos, frustrated commuters, and delayed journeys. The festive rush once again highlighted the urgent need for an integrated urban mobility plan that prioritises public transport, optimises road use, and reduces the city’s overdependence on private vehicles. In the long run, experts believe a sustainable solution lies in expanding metro connectivity, introducing congestion-pricing zones, and improving last-mile access to encourage citizens to switch from cars to greener, high-capacity public modes. Without such systemic reform, Mumbai’s festive celebrations will continue to come with a price — hours lost in traffic and growing urban fatigue.
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