Traffic chaos on NH-48 forces rethink: Cops ease truck curbs after infant’s death

Thane traffic police rolled back heavy vehicle restrictions after a child's death in a jam, now allowing trucks more entry hours to ease congestion.

MUMBAI: Two days after a 16-month-old child died when his family’s car was trapped in a 25-km-long jam on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, the Thane traffic police on Saturday were forced to roll back their controversial curbs on heavy vehicles.

Traffic chaos on NH-48 forces rethink: Cops ease truck curbs after infant’s death

The earlier order, issued on September 16 and enforced from September 18, had barred trucks with 10 tyres or more from entering city limits except between 12 midnight and 6 am. The aim was to ease daily gridlocks on NH-48 and Ghodbunder Road, but the move backfired. Instead of relief, thousands of vehicles piled up on the arterial stretch, choking traffic for hours, stranding commuters, and in one tragic case, costing a child his life.

Responding to the mounting anger, the police have now widened the truck entry window. From Saturday till October 2, heavy vehicles will be allowed between 11 am to 5pm and 10pm to 6 am, so that peak-hour city traffic is spared.

“After receiving complaints and reviewing the congestion, we decided to amend the schedule. The new timings should help balance movement for all categories of vehicles,” said a senior traffic official.

Activists and commuters had warned that the earlier six-hour window was woefully inadequate. With over 25,000 trucks crossing Thane daily, the policy effectively created a dam of waiting vehicles. When released, they flooded all available lanes, paralysing regular traffic. “It was unthinkable that thousands of trucks could clear in six hours. Instead of reducing jams, it created endless tailbacks. Ambulances and emergency cases were left to suffer,” said Shraddha Rai from an NGO, which staged a commuter protest in Ghodbunder recently.

Even with amendments, many say the root problem remains. “Without dedicated service lanes, proper truck lay-bys, or emergency corridors, simply tweaking timings won’t solve anything,” said social worker Sushant Patil.

Voices from the road

“There are no parking bays or rest stops for trucks. Drivers were made to wait 15–18 hours in the heat. The whole system is broken,” said Yusuf Khan, a trailer driver heading to JNPT.

“I missed an important client meeting because of this mess. We are paying the price for poor planning,” said XXXX