Hyderabad: The Sankranti travel rush intensified on Friday along the Hyderabad–Vijayawada National Highway. Thousands of residents left the city for their native places in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the festival.
Because schools remained closed and weekend holidays coincided, travel demand surged. As a result, bus stations, railway terminals, and city exit points saw heavy crowds. Moreover, many families chose private vehicles, which led to long queues at toll plazas and city borders.
Traffic congestion peaked at the Pantangi Toll Plaza near Choutuppal. Vehicles stood stranded for several kilometres. Meanwhile, commuters reported slow movement as traffic police and toll staff worked to clear the backlog.
Congestion peaks on Vijayawada route
Officials said the rush increased sharply due to heavy vehicle movement towards Vijayawada. Therefore, authorities opened more toll booths at Pantangi. They operated 16 booths for Hyderabad-bound traffic and eight towards Vijayawada to ease congestion.
At the same time, police and toll staff stepped up regulation to prevent bottlenecks. However, officials warned that traffic could increase further over the next few days due to consecutive holidays.
RTC runs special buses, fares rise
Meanwhile, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation operated 6,431 special buses for Sankranti. These services ran from key locations such as MGBS, JBS, Uppal Cross Roads, Aramghar, LB Nagar, KPHB, Bowenpally, and Gachibowli.
In addition, RTC officials said they have made arrangements for return travel on January 18 and 19. However, private bus operators sharply raised fares. They cited empty return trips, fuel prices, and maintenance costs. The revised fares will apply on January 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, and 19, when demand is likely to remain high.
