Pune: On January 26, a protest march led by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil against the Maratha quota is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai, raising the possibility of traffic jams. The demonstrators are anticipated to approach along the Eastern Freeway and head towards Azad Maidan in south Mumbai as part of an ongoing hunger strike, while the city awaits more specific traffic plans. Another site of agitation is Dadar's Shivaji Park.

Trucks, buses, trailers, and heavy vehicles are prohibited during specific hours of operation in order to regulate traffic: 

1. Heavy vehicles are not allowed to enter south Mumbai between 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (going south) or between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. (going north). 
2. From 7 a.m. to midnight, large vehicles are not allowed to drive on south Mumbai roadways. 
3. Cars are allowed to travel up to different intersections during designated hours in order to facilitate traffic flow. 
4. The size of the convoy and the number of participants, however, will finalize the ultimate traffic plan. 

The scenario can get worse because January 26 is a public holiday and more people will be using the Eastern Freeway and other roads for travel. Authorities are getting ready for the prospect of heightened traffic congestion and issues throughout the city as the protestors move closer to Panvel. Meanwhile, senior politicians, including deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, reviewed the situation and the plans put in place following Jarange-Patil's protest march on Wednesday morning.

Securing Kunbi (OBC) status for the Maratha people is the main demand of the protestors. In order to provide Marathas reservations, the government had already declared that a special session of the state legislature would be held on February 26. Jarange-Patil and the demonstrators accompanied by him have declared their intention to station themselves in Azad Maidan in south Mumbai and have called for an immediate resolution to the problem.