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Mumbai’s notorious traffic jams are no secret. Numerous residents voice concerns about the poor management of roads and relentless traffic congestion in the city. But the city of dreams witnessed a rare and almost unbelievable sight post-Diwali. As the festive spirit took over the city, one resident captured traffic-free roads and less travel time, leaving fellow Mumbaikars both stunned and delighted. The picture, which quickly gained attention on X, features a snippet of Google Maps on a car’s display. The image showed that the time to travel the 21-kilometre journey was just 29 minutes, a figure that’s nearly unheard of in the city on an average day. Captioning the picture, the user wrote, “Empty roads post Diwali. 21 km in 29 min. Mumbai of my dreams.” Empty roads post Diwali. 21 km in 29 min. Mumbai of my dreams How Did Social Media Users React? As soon as the post garnered attention online, the image struck a chord with many who dream of a less congested city. This rare moment of calm on Mumbai roads sparked a wave of reactions, with users flooding the comments section with reactions ranging from disbelief to hope for more such days. “From Marine to Siddhivinayak it took me approximately 15 minutes today,” read a comment. Another wrote, “Actually that could have been possible all the time if more flyovers were built in place of the metro.” “But do not over speed please, you never know where the potholes can pop up suddenly. That’s the perk of living here,” said a user. An individual stated, “I travelled 19 km in just 18 minutes. Roads were completely empty in the morning.” “Same in Delhi. Travelled 16 kms of South Delhi in just 35 minutes. On normal days, it can take up to 1 hr to 1 hr 15 mins,” shared a user. An account posted, “Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurugram – sab jgha same haal hai! Kaha gye sb.” “Absolutely from BKC to Lokhandwala (Andheri West) in 25 mins at 5.30pm. Like Seriously. This is what we deserve rather than 150 mins,” commented a user. An individual suggested, “Now open the window and try to breathe.” Mumbai Residents, Fed Up With The City’s Traffic, Write To PM Modi Frustrated by the unending traffic jams on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad National Highway, more than 100 residents from the Naigaon-Chinchoti-Vasai area wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month. The letters, described as a “cry of despair,” were mailed on Thursday at the Sasoonghar post office. In the letter to PM Modi, the residents sought permission to die by suicide. They demanded urgent attention to the worsening traffic situation. Locals say what used to be a one-hour commute has stretched into five or six hours, putting their livelihoods, education, health and daily lives under severe strain. The residents in their letter demanded, “We urge the government to address these demands immediately. If the administration continues to remain inactive, we citizens will be left with no option but to seek permission to die by suicide in protest against this gross negligence.”
