Metro Passengers Surge As Post-Dasara Rush Chokes NH 65

Hyderabad: Traffic jams were reported at Hayathnagar and on National Highway (NH 65) on Monday morning, as thousands of people returning to Hyderabad after the Dasara festival caused severe congestion. The heavy traffic led to a sharp increase in footfall at the LB Nagar Metro Station, with many commuters, especially office-goers, opting for the metro to reach their workplaces or homes.

According to Metro Rail officials, there was a sudden rise in passenger numbers at LB Nagar, Nagole, and Ameerpet stations on Monday morning. The Hyderabad Metro Rail, which begins operations at 6 am, saw a surge in ridership as people sought to avoid traffic congestion. A large number of commuters were travelling towards Ameerpet and Raidurg.

The Telangana Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) also operated additional bus services to handle the festive rush. The Hyderabad region alone deployed 751 special buses on Sunday night for return journeys from outstation routes. Over the weekend, the corporation operated nearly 8,000 special services statewide.

TGSRTC officials said 7,754 special buses were arranged between September 20 and early October, which is 617 more than last year’s Dasara services. For the return journey on October 5 and 6, special stoppages were provided at major locations such as KPHB Colony, Uppal Crossroads, Uppal Bus Stand, Dilsukhnagar, LB Nagar, and Aramghar to drop passengers closer to their destinations.

Rodha Vasundhara, principal of a city school, said, “Dasara is one of the few festivals when schools have long vacations after the summer break. Holidays began on September 22, and though reopening was scheduled for October 4, being a Saturday followed by a Sunday, most schools reopened on October 6.”

Meanwhile, the South Central Railway said it had operated 2,050 special trains in all directions from mid-September to mid-October to accommodate festival travellers.