Heavy traffic at Pantangi toll plaza as commuters return to cities after Dasara

Vehicular traffic spiked significantly on the Vijayawada–Hyderabad highway at the Pantangi toll plaza in Choutuppal as thousands returned home post-Dasara. The surge comes ahead of the reopening of schools and colleges on October 22 following the festive holidays

Hyderabad: Heavy vehicular congestion was witnessed on the Vijayawada–Hyderabad National Highway (NH-65) near the Pantangi toll plaza in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on Wednesday, as thousands of citizens headed back to cities following the Dasara festivities.

Traffic flow surged significantly through Choutuppal mandal with motorists returning from their native towns and villages across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Toll authorities and local police were pressed into service to manage the bottleneck and ensure the smooth movement of vehicles.

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The sudden spike in commuter volume comes ahead of the reopening of educational institutions, with schools and colleges scheduled to resume classes on October 22 after the festive break. Families traveling with children and office-goers returning to work resulted in long queues of vehicles at the toll booths, particularly during peak morning and afternoon hours.

To clear the backlog, toll plaza management activated additional lanes and deployed extra personnel to facilitate faster FASTag scanning and toll clearance. Traffic police officers were also stationed at crucial intersections along the highway to prevent gridlocks and prevent rash driving during the heavy rush.

Commuters experienced minor delays, but officials stated that traffic flow remained largely steady without any major accidents or prolonged disruptions. Authorities expect the high volume of traffic on the highway to continue through the evening as the post-holiday travel rush winds down.