A day before Ugadi, Traffic jam cripples at Majestic area of Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Majestic area of the city witnessed heavy traffic gridlocks on the eve of Ugadi on Thursday, as more than 5 lakh passengers converged to the area to reach city bus station, KSRTC bus terminus and city railway station, to catch buses and trains to their home towns.
Nearly six-kilometre radius around the Majestic area came to a standstill and passengers had to walk long distances, with their luggage, to reach bus and railway station.
As this year’s Ugadi festival, which is celebrated across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, falls on Friday, holiday goers were eager to capitalise on the three-day long weekend. As a result lakhs of people decided to head to their home towns and many also opted to spend the long weekend in hill stations.
Due to this the city bus station, satellite bus station on Mysore road, Shanthinagar bus terminus, city railway station, Yesvantpur railway station and Cantonment railway stations witnessed heavy rush. KSRTC alone operated more than 750 additional buses, besides 1,000 extra buses operated by the private operators, which added to the traffic gridlock.
KSRTC had arranged special buses on long routes, but not for nearby cities such as Tumakuru, Mandya and Kolar. Hence conductors on these buses refused to entertain passenger going on short-haul journeys. This led to heated exchanges between passengers and bus crew. According to the traffic police, bus services to Majestic from Shanthinagar bus terminus and Malleswaram link road got cut off due to traffic jam.
Bengaluru gears up for long weekend
Breaking free from the mundane daily shackles of work, the residents of Bengaluru are now seen heading towards waterfalls, jungles, and other scenic locales. Madikeri, Chikkamagaluru, Ooty or Kodaikanal are some of the preferred locations.
“My wife and I are heading to Dubare Elephant Camp. I have read a lot about it, but did not get a chance to visit that place till now,” said Kishore B who works in a private firm in Bengaluru. Vaishak and his friends have planned to visit Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta in Chamarajanagar district.
Meanwhile, social media platforms are filled with hashtags and a closer look reveals most holiday-goers prefer to travel towards hill stations like Ooty and Kodaikanal, while a few are seen heading towards the beaches.
With the schools closed for summer holidays and the tourist season at its peak, tourist operators are seen getting lots more customers for package tours.
Pradeep, a travel agent in the city, said, “Many customers are approaching us, showing interest in a two-day package tour to Waynad and Chikkamagaluru. Package tours are safe as we ensure transport and accommodation.”
With the increasing demand and in order to get more customer tours, operators were seen advertising mini-package tours for lesser prices on social media platforms.
