An estimated 2.5 lakh passengers are said to have made way from different bus stations and other points to their hometown a day ahead of polls, to cast their vote.
According to officials of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), approximately 700 buses departed from the Jubilee Bus Station, Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and other points.
The officials said that arrangements for additional 300 trips were being made late on Thursday evening. “We are seeing a surge of passengers today. We are now making arrangements for additional buses,” an official said.
Passengers began to queue up at these bus stations early on Thursday morning. Many others took private buses to reach their respective destinations.
“We began to witness rush from 10 a.m. on Thursday. People are going to all parts of the State for voting. Apart from JBS and MGBS, buses are leaving from Aramghar, Uppal, L B Nagar and the Ring Road. We were prepared to handle the large number of passengers. While a lot many have left today, we expect many others to travel to various parts of the State tomorrow as well,” a TSRTC official said.
TSRTC Executive Director (Operations) P. Komuriah, the corporation has pressed into service over 1,900 buses to transport staff on polling duty. An additional 500 have been earmarker to transport police personnel.
In the TSRTC’s Greater Hyderabad Zone alone, over 300 buses have been pressed into service, to transport officials on election duty.
Meanwhile, the railway stations at Secunderabad, Kacheguda and Nampally too witnessed increased rush as the people hailing from neighbouring districts left for their native places to cast their votes.
Employees from AP
In a related development, several Andhra Pradesh Government employees working in Amravathi and other places began to come back to Hyderabad to vote.
AP Government has accorded special leave for all such employees, who have votes in Hyderabad.
