Andhra Pradesh: Ahead of Sankranti, crowds gathered at bus and railway stations

VIJAYAWADA: Bus and railway stations in cities across the state witnessed a heavy influx of passengers on Friday as people queued up to head towards their native places for the three-day Sankranti festival. Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and South Central Railway (SCR) deployed additional buses and trains to various places in the state as well as neighboring states in view of the rush.

Almost all buses and trains are reported to be running at full capacity. “We have been seeing rush of passengers for the last two days. This scenario will continue till Sunday,” said APSRTC vice-chairman and managing director Choudhary Dwaraka Tirumala Rao.

With train tickets sold out, people are flocking to bus stations. Bus stations in Guntur, Ongole, Eluru, Machilipatnam, Bhimavaram, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram, Amalapuram, Nellore and on the Telangana border were also packed.

Despite additional buses and trains running, people struggled to get tickets. As a result, private bus operators have increased ticket fares. Passengers are upset due to excessive fare increase. “Private bus operators see festivals as an opportunity to hike ticket fares on routes connecting major cities like Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Chennai,” lamented Anjaneyulu, a passenger.

Meanwhile, there was traffic jam on Hyderabad-Vijayawada and Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam highways. Traffic jams have been reported at toll gates on national highways en route to Hyderabad, Eluru, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam since Friday morning.

With cars, buses and other vehicles queuing up at the toll plaza, authorities have taken special measures to reduce congestion by opening additional gates. Heavy traffic was recorded at Chillakallu and Keesara toll plazas and Kaza and Eluru toll plazas on the Hyderabad Highway.

According to officials, movement of around one lakh vehicles was seen at the three toll plazas in NTR district on Friday. This number is likely to reach 1.5 lakh on Saturday and Sunday. Officials made elaborate arrangements to ensure that vehicles can pay toll tax through Fastag efficiently.
Additionally, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials and local police have intensified patrolling and installed barricades on national highways to prevent road accidents.

beeline at toll plaza

Nearly 1L vehicles were registered at three toll plazas in NTR district on Friday. It is likely to increase to 1.5 lakh in the next two days