Hyderabad: On Sankranti, toll plaza, ORR saw increase in traffic

Hyderabad: The Outer Ring Road and the Bibinagar toll plaza saw an increase of more than 10,000 vehicles on Friday over Thursday, mostly passenger cars, as thousands of people left for their native places for Sankranti.

Data with the Rachakonda police showed that 56,595 vehicles passed Choutuppal ORR on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway. Of these, 42,844 were cars, 1,300 RTC buses, 4,913 private buses and 7,538 goods carriers and other vehicles.

Just a day later, on January 13, the number increased to 67,577. The number of cars was up by more than 11,000, at 53,561. Besides, 1,851 RTC buses, 4,906 private buses and 7.259 goods carriers and other vehicles crossed the spot.

The slight fall in the number of private buses was caused by many people preferring to travel in own vehicles or taxis.

On the Hyderabad-Warangal highway, 25,231 crossed the Bibinagar toll gate on Friday, including 17,844 cars and 872 buses apart from 13,334 other vehicles.

Rachakonda police said a large number of passengers were noticed at the Vijayawada bus stand at LB Nagar, and many heavy vehicles crossed the Pathangi toll gate between 10 pm and 1 am.

A statement said special teams of the RTC and the Rachakonda traffic police were regulating traffic. A special team from the GMR toll plaza was also helping to regulate traffic.

Rachakonda DCP D. Srinivas asked passengers to wait at the bus shelters and operators to check their vehicles before heading out to the highway.