Hyderabad: Ahead of the Sankranti festival, Hyderabad is witnessing a mass exodus of residents returning to their native places, leaving residential areas largely empty. While main roads still carry traffic, most colony streets appear deserted. In contrast, major transport hubs and bus terminals are experiencing unprecedented congestion as passengers flock to travel to rural districts across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Over the past three days, more than 30 lakh commuters are estimated to have left the city.
Major bus terminals, including MG Bus Station (MGBS), JBS, Dilsukhnagar, Uppal, LB Nagar, and Hi-Tech City, are overwhelmed with passengers. Commuters report long waits for tickets, while delays in bus arrivals have caused significant hardship, particularly for women, elderly travellers, and children. Roads leading to these terminals are heavily congested, compounding travel difficulties.
Advance bookings for buses and trains had been made by residents over the past two to three months to secure travel for Sankranti. As a result, seats on government buses and trains are fully booked for the next two days, leaving passengers frustrated due to the unavailability of online and counter reservations. RTC and railway authorities have introduced special services to manage the holiday rush, but demand continues to outstrip capacity.
With government bus and train tickets sold out, many travellers have turned to private operators. Taking advantage of the situation, some private transport providers have sharply increased fares, often charging two to three times the usual rates. Commuters have lodged complaints with transport authorities, but in the absence of alternatives, passengers are paying inflated fares to secure bookings. Authorities have warned that action will be taken against overcharging operators.
Officials advise passengers to plan their travel carefully, explore alternative routes, and exercise caution while travelling during the festival. The Sankranti exodus is expected to continue over the next few days, keeping Hyderabad’s transport infrastructure under extreme pressure.