Yadadri-Bhongir:Heavy traffic jams stretched for kilometres at the Panthangi toll plaza on National Highway 65 in Choutuppal mandal due to the festival rush, as people from Hyderabad travelled to their hometowns for Dasara.
The influx of vehicles began on Thursday afternoon. In response to the surge, toll plaza authorities increased the number of toll gates from six to eight, despite which vehicles continued moving bumper-to-bumper, prompting police intervention to regulate traffic and prevent further congestion.
No traffic jams were reported at the Korlaphad toll plaza on the same highway.
Public transportation was also overwhelmed, with TSRTC buses in Nalgonda, Suryapet, Devarakonda, Kodad, and Huzurnagar packed with passengers heading to their hometowns.
A TSRTC woman conductor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted that women made up more than half of the passengers. She attributed the rush to the festival and the free travel facility for women, similar to the situation during last year’s Bathukamma festival.
