Diwali of Traffic Jams on Pune–Nashik Highway! Long Queues of Vehicles as Videos Go Viral
Diwali of Traffic Jams on Pune–Nashik Highway! Long Queues of Vehicles as Videos Go Viral
Festive rush brings vehicles to a standstill, causing severe inconvenience to commuters.
As Diwali festivities kick off, the Pune–Nashik Highway witnessed massive traffic congestion, leaving commuters stranded for hours. Long queues of vehicles stretched across several kilometres on Friday, with Narayangaon among the worst-hit areas.
The surge in traffic comes as people throng markets for Diwali shopping or set out on weekend getaways with friends and family. The festive rush has choked key routes leading out of Pune, turning the usually smooth highway into a crawl. Passengers and drivers alike reported immense hardship, with travel times nearly doubling.
According to officials, the transport department has been making continuous efforts to ease the gridlock, but with limited success. Videos of the jam have flooded social media, showing long lines of vehicles barely moving. Frustrated commuters have vented their anger online, criticising poor traffic management.
The situation has also affected routes to popular tourist destinations like Lonavala and Khandala, where traffic from Amrutanjan Bridge to Khopoli Exit extended up to seven to eight kilometres. Even alternative routes saw heavy congestion as travellers attempted to bypass the jam.
Authorities have urged citizens to plan their travel carefully during the festive season and avoid peak hours to prevent further disruption.
