Highway choked with festival rush
Hyderabad/Vijayawada: Thousands of vehicles passed through the Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway in the last 24 hours with people coming home for the Sankranthi festival.
Though the rush is almost same with Seemandhra's traveling home for the season, this year it was felt more as more light vehicles were seen on the road passing in long row.
The absence of the private buses, which have been enjoying major share every year, pushing the RTC buses into margin, was felt this year with continued raids on the unauthorised vehicles.
The Bengaluru-Hyderabad bus accident that killed 45 passengers had raised an alarm on the safety of the passengers on one side and on the other the illegal operations by the private travels. The raids have thus prevented them from bringing the buses on to the road in the season, forcing people to travel in their personal vehicles.
The fast moving long line of light vehicles all along the road was a treat to the eyes of people in the villages along the highway. The four tol plazas between Hyderabad and Vijayawada have made huge money in the last 24 hours with more number of vehicles passing through.
Each light vehicle would have to pay R 250 at the four tol plazas together and the amount gained by the toll plazas this time is likely in a few crore rupees.
The vehicles going beyond On gole from Hyderabad have taken different route from Nakirekal, while those heading towards Rajahmundry leave the highway at Suryapet, thus bringing down the rush on the road between Suryapet and Vijayawada.
The vehicular rush at the two toll plazas, Patangi at Chautuppal and Korlapahad near Ketepalli, was more with the vehicles head ing to Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam line and those heading to Ongole and Nellore lined up.
An estimated 25 per cent of the city population hailing from the districts, especially Seemandhra left the city for the annual trip to celebrate Sankranti at their ancestral homes. It left certain localities in the city nearly deserted.
The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are partly emptied. The government employees and those working in IT sector left for hometowns late on Friday or on early Saturday to enjoy an extended holiday.
Others left Sunday for the three-day festival. Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) and other bus stands at Dilsukhnagar and L B Nagar were teeming with people.
Dozens of special trains run by the railways and hundreds of buses operated by APSRTC are proving inadequate to tackle the rush. Debomitra Mitra, a software engineer and resident of Banjara Hills said, 'It was such a pleasure to drive on the roads in Hyderabad. It reminded me of old times in the late 80s when life was led at a slow pace and there were no traffic jam.'
Chaos at exit points In spite of 5,500 special buses by APSRTC and 50 trains by South Central Railway (SCR) chaos prevailed at Secunderabad and Hyderabad railway stations as thousands were jostling to board the trains.
The rush on APSRTC buses this year is unprecedented as many private bus operators have suspended their services due to the drive launched by the transport authorities. Sankranti offers an opportunity to people to revisit their roots.
A large number of techies, students, government and private employees and also businessmen from coastal Andhra never miss the opportunity to visit their native places.
Their children enjoy the holiday with a feel of the countryside. They celebrate the holiday by visiting the fields, flying kites, watching decorated bulls, cock-fights, bullock-cart races, and other rural sports that are organised on the occasion.
Trains and buses to various destinations in Andhra Pradesh are overcrowded with people, who are in a hurry to be with their near and dear ones to celebrate the harvest festival January 14 that is also celebrated with enthusiasm in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
News Posted: 13 January, 2014
|
