Sankranti Rush Jams Traffic on Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway

VIJAYAWADA: The huge rush of commuters travelling to their native places in Andhra Pradesh has caused traffic jams on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway on Saturday.

In particular, Keesara and Chillakallu toll plazas witnessed long queues of cars, buses and other transport vehicles, even as authorities tried to ease the congestion.

Usually, these toll plazas witness movement of about 38,000 vehicles every day. But the number of vehicles for Sankranti has increased. It is expected that 70,000 to one lakh vehicles will pass through these toll plazas on the eve of Sankranti.

Scores of vehicles got reduced to a crawl on the flyover at Nandigama.
The rush is being attributed to Sankranti holidays being declared for all educational institutions beginning Friday. Entire families in Telangana, particularly from Hyderabad, have thus decided to reach their native places in AP in their personal vehicles.

The Festival of Harvest will be celebrated on Monday.

Special trains and buses are being operated from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and other places in AP to clear the rush.

The number of travellers is likely to see a big jump over the next two days.

Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is operating 6,795 special bus services for those travelling to their hometowns. APSRTC managing director Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao announced that only regular fares will be charged on these special buses. Travellers can use these buses instead of private carriers, which are charging enormously.

RTC authorities estimate that around two million people from Hyderabad and other Telangana districts visit their hometowns in AP for Sankranti.