As expected, heavy rush was seen at the bus and railway stations after four-day Dasara vacations. Serpentine queues were seen at the reservation counters.
The South Central Railway (SCR) and the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is running additional services to clear the festival rush. Trains and buses destined to metropolitan cities were packed from Monday afternoon.
With students studying in professional colleges and the employees working in different companies in the neighbouring States planned to resume their works by Tuesday, the platforms were filled with passengers. The SCR and the RTC officials say that all the additional services arranged for festival were booked through advanced reservation system and tatkal tickets.
As Vijayawada is hub for rail and road transportation, passengers from Guntur, East and West Godavari, Prakasam and Nellore districts thronged the city to reach their destinations. Buses operating from Rajamahendravaram, Amalapuram, Kovvur, Jangareddygudem, Eluru, Ongole and other places to Vijayawada were seen packed.
After the bus and railway officials closing their bookings, passengers are vying for private travel buses. Heavy rush was seen at the offices of the private tour operators at Gandhinagar, Benz Circle, Hanumanpet and other places in the city.
“We booked tickets one month in advance to go to Chennai, but our berths were not confirmed. We cancelled the journey. Same situation was prevailing in RTC too. Passengers, particularly those who are travelling with children and the aged, are facing severe problems. Some passengers were waiting on the platforms since morning,” a passenger P.V. Subramanyam said.
“The rush for Bangaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad was high. All the festival special services were booked for the next two days,” an RTC official said.
Meanwhile, traffic was jammed at the toll gates on the National Highways leading to Hyderabad and Chennai.
