Hyderabad roads lighter as residents head to native towns

Hyderabad and Secunderabad witnessed heavy passenger and vehicular traffic as residents traveled for Sankranti. Special trains and buses were deployed, but poor connectivity to Charlapalli and delays caused financial and travel stress. The city appears quieter as festival travel continues.

Hyderabad: A massive influx of passengers was witnessed at railway and bus stations in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, as people head to their native towns for Sankranti festival celebrations.

A festive rush of travelers from all walks of life is underway at Secunderabad, Kacheguda and Nampally railway stations. Students, working professionals, and families can be seen on the platforms, waiting to board trains to their destinations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

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The Secunderabad railway station, which is the biggest railway station in the twin cities, is witnessing heavy festival rush. On its part, the South Central Railway is operating special trains to clear the Sankranti rush, as hundreds of travelers along with their luggage were seen thronging the Secunderabad, Nampally and Charlapalli railway stations. The passenger rush is likely to increase on Wednesday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, bus stations in the twin cities also saw rush of passengers to board buses to their destinations. Both Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and Jubilee Bus Station were crowded with passengers.

Most of the important junctions and roads across the city leading to the national and state highways have been witnessing huge vehicular traffic.

The Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway has been witnessing heavy traffic since Tuesday. Cars, buses and other transport vehicles are queuing up at toll plazas even as authorities have taken special measures to ease the congestion.

Passengers face transport issues to Charlapalli:

Passengers travelling to Charlapalli railway terminal had to face serious difficulties due to poor public transport connectivity, forcing many to spend heavily on private vehicles during the Sankranti rush.

As there are no direct buses from Uppal to Charlapalli, most travellers had to come to Habsiguda, hoping to catch a connecting bus to the station. As cab fares were beyond their budget, left with no option, they are hiring auto-rickshaws that are charging between Rs 400 and Rs 500 to drop them at the station.

Similar hardships are being faced by many bus passengers travelling to their hometowns for the festival. Commuters allege that buses are not operating on time, while TGSRTC officials maintain that delays in train schedules are the main reason for the inconvenience. However, passengers say the lack of coordination is ultimately burning a hole in their pockets.

Some commuters have demanded more MMTS or passenger train services to Charlapalli, stating that limited rail connectivity is adding to their financial and travel stress during peak seasons.

Hyderabad turns quieter:

They appeared noticeably quieter on Tuesday as thousands of residents left the city to celebrate Sankranti in their native places. With the festival prompting large-scale travel early in the week, roads across several parts of the city saw lighter traffic and reduced congestion.

Offices, educational institutions and local markets also recorded lower attendance, reflecting the impact of the festive travel.

Traffic authorities say normal activity is expected to gradually return after the Sankranti holidays conclude.