As Diwali festivities kick off, roads around Thane railway station, particularly near Prabhat Talkies and Jambli Naka, are experiencing significant congestion. Throngs of cars, buses, and pedestrians have created a gridlock, especially in popular shopping areas on Sunday.

The narrow roads in this area have exacerbated the situation, with four-wheelers parked on both sides. This has resulted in severe traffic congestion, with commuters taking 20 to 25 minutes to travel a distance that usually takes only 10 minutes. With many people heading out for last-minute shopping and celebrations. Though, the traffic police teams have been on streets to manage the vehicle traffic. However, the teams are outnumbered by the overwhelming crowds, point residents.

“To alleviate congestion, authorities have to implement changes in bus routes and other heavy vehicles during Diwali, aiming to decongest the area and lessen traffic”.

Commuters like to walk and explore Thane is a customary part of the Diwali experience, but heavy traffic has made this difficult. Commuter Sharavi Prindavankar remarked, “I expected it to be busy, as this is an annual ritual. However, this year the rush is beyond imagination”.

Another commuter, Asha Raut, added, “Diwali brings excitement, and the amount of crowd gathered justifies it. Officials need to have a better crowd management system in place.”