Traffic gridlocked with people heading to hometowns for Sankranti

Passengers scramble to get into an unreserved compartment of a train through the emergency window at Secunderabad Railway Station on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Railway stations, bus stations, and transit hubs like L.B. Nagar, Kukatpally were packed with people exiting Hyderabad on Saturday, creating major traffic congestions in multiple localities. With the Sankranti holidays commencing and coinciding with the weekend, vehicular movement at key locations in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas surged significantly.

The Panthangi Toll Plaza, located along National Highway 65, witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic, albeit with vehicles moving steadily. According to officials from the traffic police, and personnel stationed at the toll plaza, there was an increase in vehicular activity beginning with the early hours — between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. — on January 11. To manage the flow of vehicles, 12 out of the toll plaza’s 16 lanes were dedicated exclusively to traffic heading towards Vijayawada from Hyderabad. Sources familiar with the situation estimated that more than 48,000 vehicles passed through the toll gates during this period. Traffic at the toll plaza is anticipated to experience another surge on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Rachakonda Police were actively engaged in managing vehicular movement near the Choutuppal bus stand, which is also situated along NH-65. Officials reported that the area experienced heavier-than-usual traffic flow. However, efforts were made to ensure efficient management and ameliorate the situation.

Public transport embarkation points across the city also bore the brunt of increased traffic, particularly near prominent passenger transit points such as the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), Jubilee Bus Station (JBS), Kukatpally Housing Board Colony (KPHB), and Uppal. These areas saw a heavy influx of passengers who were seen rushing to board Telangana State Road Transport Corporation buses. The JBS Parade Ground Metro Station also witnessed a surge in commuters heading towards JBS.

The transport juggernaut earmarked over 6,000 special buses to deal with Sankranti passengers. As a result several city buses appeared to be off the roads.

A spike in traffic was also seen along NH – 44. “It usually takes me nearly one-and-a-half hours to travel from Kotla Alijah to Shadnagar along NH-44. Today, it took me about two-and-a-half hours,” said Mounis Abidi, a lawyer who frequently traverses the route.