Heavy rush at railway, bus stations as families head home for Dasara

Hyderabad: Massive festive rush was witnessed across TGSRTC bus terminals and railway stations in the twin cities on Friday as citizens thronged transit hubs to travel home for the Dussehra festival. With educational institution holidays commencing Saturday, combined with the second Saturday and Sunday weekend, hundreds of families flocked to major transit centers. Jubilee Bus Station in Secunderabad, Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in the Old City, and Uppal Bus Station remained jam-packed throughout the day. Similarly, Kacheguda, Secunderabad, Nampally, and Cherlapally railway stations recorded heavy footfall as families headed toward various destinations across both Telugu states.

To manage the massive surge, TGSRTC deployed over 7,000 special buses state-wide, while South Central Railway announced 34 daily special trains. Estimates indicate nearly 15 lakh people migrate from Hyderabad and surrounding regions to native towns for Bathukamma and Dussehra festivities annually. Besides Telangana and Andhra Pradesh districts, long-distance buses bound for Assam, Odisha, and neighbouring states operated at full capacity. However, passengers experienced delays, waiting one to two hours at bus terminals.

Commuters reported rampant fare spikes by private bus operators, who allegedly stalled online bookings to create artificial shortages and inflate ticket prices. Tickets from Hyderabad to Vijayawada reached Rs 1800 to Rs 2000, significantly above standard rates. K Shashidhar, a software professional travelling to Kurnool, stated that private operators doubled fares compared to typical holiday surcharges of 20 to 30 per cent, forcing travellers to pay exorbitant amounts. Krishank, a resident of KPHB, recounted being charged an extra Rs 700 at an Ameerpet booking office after online options filled up. Meanwhile, passengers heading to distant Andhra Pradesh locations without confirmed train tickets waited at booking counters or boarded available unreserved coaches to reach home.

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The Hans India