Thane: Kalyan-Shilphata Road congestion forces school to give a holiday

A school bus stuck in traffic

The impact of Metro construction and the breakdown of a heavy vehicle on Kalyan-Shilphata Road caused not only a traffic jam on the road but also disrupted school operations on Wednesday. The construction work has led to frequent and prolonged traffic jams, significantly disrupting the daily lives of citizens who commute through this route.

Unfortunately, Vidya Niketan school has borne the brunt of these disruptions. The traffic congestion caused by the construction has been so severe that the school had to make the difficult decision to stop its afternoon session. This decision was necessitated because the school buses were unable to return on time to pick up children from the morning session due to the gridlock caused by the traffic jams.

Such disruptions have not only inconvenienced the students and their families but also impacted the school's ability to operate smoothly and provide uninterrupted education.

Heavy traffic jams have been caused by the metro construction work

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic Division Sanjay Sable, said, "The traffic on the Kalyan-Shilphata Road was disrupted as a truck broke down on the road in the wee hours on Wednesday. Also, the metro work has created a narrow space for vehicles to pass. It took around three hours for us to move the heavy vehicle to the side and clear the traffic," he added.

Vivek Pandit, the Principal of Vidya Niketan School said, "The school operates in three sessions - 8 am, 10.30 am, and 12.30 pm for Std V to VIII. At 4 am, a truck broke down on the road, causing traffic congestion, which is a frequent issue due to ongoing metro construction. This breakdown further disrupted traffic, delaying the school buses. The breakdown occurred a kilometre away from the school. The morning buses, which were supposed to arrive by 7.45 am, did not arrive until after 8.35 am. The buses for the second session, scheduled to arrive by 10.20 am, reached after 11.35 am. Typically, buses for the third session leave at 11 am, but due to the delay, they would have arrived around 1 pm or 2 pm, making it pointless. Therefore, the management decided to cancel the third session.

MNS MLA Raju Patil said, "The fact that schools are getting cancelled over traffic issues is just an insult to the administration who are not bothered to create a solution. Despite expressing concerns and demanding the establishment of alternative roads and the diversion of heavy traffic, the administration has not yet addressed these issues."

Locals from the area demanded solutions and requested the authorities to create alternate routes to alleviate congestion on the Kalyan-Shilphata Road. "Divert heavy traffic to other roads to reduce the burden on the primary route. Improve coordination and planning with the traffic department to prevent such severe traffic jams in the future. These measures are essential to ensure smooth traffic flow, safeguard public convenience, and prevent further disruption to schools and other essential services," said a local resident.