Mumbai to Manali: Traffic jam, breakdowns spoil Christmas weekend cheer

Long traffic jams, vehicle breakdowns marred the long festive weekend during Christmas across the country. Images of hundreds of cars and two-wheelers stuck on road going to Manali, on Mumbai-Pune Expressway or in Bengaluru went viral over the last couple of days as people headed out for a long holiday break. With the New Year celebrations also falling on a weekend, people heading to hill stations or tourist spots around India are expected to see similar scenes as well.

According to the Himachal Pradesh government estimates, lakhs of tourists have thronged to the state to celebrate Christmas in Manali and other popular destinations. The huge rush of tourists led to long queues of vehicles on roads leading to Manali or Shimla. Thousands of tourists were seen stuck in traffic for hours. While Manali witnessed a snow-less Christmas this year, most of the tourists are heading towards Atal Tunnel and beyond, causing traffic jam on the way.

Police in Himachal Pradesh is keeping a close eye on the traffic situation, especially in the higher reaches of the hills where snow and black ice have caused several accidents this year. According to Sanjay Kundu, DGP, “The local administration and the Police force of both the Lahaul Spiti and Kullu districts have been working commendably 24x7 to manage the traffic smoothly in almost minus 12 degrees' temperature and ensuring that everyone reaches safe at their destination." Kullu Police also said they are keeping a strict vigilance through CCTV cameras and drones. It said, “Kullu Police is working day and night to ensure that the trip of tourists is safe, especially in view of slippery road conditions during the evening due to snow and black ice."

Meanwhile, commuters and holidayers who took Mumbai-Pune Expressway over the weekend also faced long traffic jams. Thousands of vehicles remained stuck on the highway near Lonavala and Khandala. Several cars broke down as their fuel tanks emptied out, worsening the traffic situation on the highway. At stretches, the traffic jam extended up to 10 kms. Some of the residents said even a 15-minute journey took 1 hour and 15 minutes due to the rush of traffic.

In Chennai too, commuters faced long traffic jams in areas like Koyembedu and Anna Nagar. People heading home to celebrate Christmas were caught in traffic due to slow vehicular movement in the city. Bengaluru too witnessed huge rush causing long traffic snarls over the weekend. The rush was seen mostly near Orion Mall in Rajajinagar, Phoenix Marketcity in Mahadevapura and Phoenix Mall of Asia in Byatarayanapura. For some, it took almost 90 minutes to enter some of these malls due to massive rush of traffic.

Anticipating similar traffic chaos during the upcoming New Year weekend, police across big cities and tourist destinations are gearing up for the challenge. Police are issuing traffic advisories as well too alert tourists and regular commuters.