Telangana considers toll-free travel for Sankranti rush
Hyderabad: The Telangana government is considering waiving toll fees for passengers travelling home for Sankranti, in a move aimed at easing festival congestion on key highways.
Toll-free travel planned on key highways
The proposal, to be discussed at a high-level meeting on Tuesday, includes toll-free travel on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada National Highway and across all toll plazas in the state during the peak festive period. The government is exploring a three-to-four-day exemption to ensure smoother traffic flow.
Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has decided to write to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, as well as the National Highways Authority of India, seeking approval for the temporary waiver.
Heavy rush expected during festival
Every year during Sankranti, vehicles line up for kilometres at toll plazas such as Pantangi, Korlapahad and Chillakallu on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada stretch. Despite FASTag, travellers are often forced to wait for hours due to the sheer volume of traffic.
Officials fear that with ongoing flyover, underpass and road-widening works, stopping vehicles at toll gates could lead to complete traffic gridlock. The toll waiver is being considered to allow uninterrupted movement during the festival rush.
Review meeting with officials today
The proposal will be reviewed at a meeting at the Secretariat with collectors of the erstwhile Nalgonda district, police officials and Roads and Buildings department officers. A final decision is expected on how many days the toll-free travel will be implemented.
If the Centre gives its nod, the move is expected to benefit travellers heading from Hyderabad to destinations including Vijayawada, Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad, making Sankranti travel significantly smoother this year.
