Mumbai: Commuters in South Mumbai faced major traffic disruptions on Monday, September 1, as the Manoj Jarange-Patil-led Maratha Morcha prompted authorities to impose extensive road closures and diversions.

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking issued an early morning notification, announcing rerouting, curtailment, and cancellation of multiple bus services to manage traffic flow during the massive protest.

According to BEST, road closures were enforced on Jagannath Bhosale Marg, D N Road, and Mahapalika Marg from 5 am, leading to diversions for several bus routes. Buses on routes 25, 45, C-10, 86, and 305 operating via Jagannath Bhosale Marg were redirected through Sant Sewalal Chowk, Rambhau Salaskar Marg, Mahadev Bob Chowk, M.K. Road, and Poddar Chowk. Similarly, services on D N Road, including routes 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 51, 25, 45, C-10, 103, 124, 126, and 69, were rerouted via M.G. Road towards Metro Junction and Crawford Market.

Mahapalika Marg also saw diversions, with buses on routes 66, 69, 126, and 28 diverted towards Hutatma Chowk via M.G. Road. Additional changes included routes 138, 139, and 115 on D N Road being rerouted via Shahid Bhagat Singh Road towards SPM by 6:30 am. BEST further confirmed that due to Mahapalika Road closure at Metro Junction, buses on routes such as 5, 14, 15, 9, 103, 124, 126, 88, 86, 25, and 45 were diverted towards Hutatma Chowk.

The Maratha Morcha, which drew massive crowds, caused heavy congestion in and around key commercial areas including Fort and CSMT, affecting office-hour traffic. BEST kept services functional through rerouting and issued real-time updates on X (formerly Twitter), urging passengers to plan their travel accordingly. Despite these efforts, traffic congestion remained severe in adjoining roads throughout the day.