Traffic snarls leave motorists stuck on Mumbai’s Sion-Panvel highway for hours

Traffic snarls near Vashi naka left motorists stuck on Mumbai’s Sion-Panvel highway for hours on Tuesday morning.

Traffic snarls near Vashi naka left motorists stuck on Mumbai’s Sion-Panvel highway for hours on Tuesday morning.

By 1pm, the pile-up was at least 3-km-long and had reached Vashi plaza. (Bachchan Kumar)

According to motorists, covering even 1km stretch took more than an hour.

By 1pm, the pile-up was at least 3-km-long and had reached Vashi plaza.

Heavy traffic on the highway on Monday afternoon. (Bachchan Kumar)

The traffic officials said the pathetic condition of the road and frequent breakdowns of vehicles led to traffic snarls.

Navi Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale and joint commissioner Prashant Burde recently had a meeting with the public works department (PWD), which is responsible for the road.

Irked with the menace, traffic officials last week started filling the potholes themselves.

Pradeep Mane, assistant commissioner of police (traffic), said, "The situation is getting worse day by the day. We have asked toll naka officials to leave vehicles without collecting toll in case of pile-up. We have deployed more officials since the onset of monsoon.”