The Pandit Nehru Bus Stand (PNBS), Vijayawada's main bus terminal, transformed into a scene of utter chaos as a massive surge of passengers descended upon it ahead of the Sankranti festival. Thousands of travelers, including a large number of students, crammed the platforms and premises, leading to severe overcrowding and bringing traffic in the surrounding areas to a crawl.
Festival Exodus Creates Unprecedented Scenes
With educational institutions closing for the Sankranti vacation, students with packed luggage began arriving at the bus station in large numbers to head to their hometowns. The situation quickly escalated, with platforms at the departure block becoming jam-packed. Passengers, especially women, were seen jostling to secure seats as buses pulled in.
Buses heading to destinations like Vinukonda, Chirala, Tenali, Gudivada, Avanigadda, Ongole, and Eluru were filled beyond their official capacity almost instantly. Every seat was taken as soon as buses arrived, and many vehicles departed carrying passengers even from the footboards.
Special Services Prove Inadequate
Despite the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operating special bus services to manage the intrastate passenger flow, the measures fell short. The sheer volume of people overwhelmed the arrangements. On Saturday, nearly every bus left the station at full capacity, with many overloaded.
NTR Deputy Chief Traffic Manager, Venkata Sai Charan Teja, informed that there was particularly high demand for services to Rajamahendravaram, Amalapuram, Tanuku, and Palnadu. "We planned 150 special services each day for three days starting Saturday and operated over 200 buses on the first day alone," he said. Buses were even mobilized from depots in Rajamahendravaram and Ravulapalem to meet the demand.
He added that the situation inside the bus station became a safety concern, with passengers criss-crossing and running in opposite directions to board buses, creating challenges for RTC and police personnel.
Free Travel Scheme and Highway Woes Add to Chaos
Many on the ground pointed to the government's free bus travel scheme for women as a significant contributor to the unexpected passenger surge. Saketh, a private college student traveling to Yerragondapalem, noted, "While we usually witness significant rush during the pre-Sankranti period, we never witnessed this kind of crowd. It looks like the free bus travel scheme for women is one of the main reasons."
Meanwhile, the festive exodus also caused major traffic disruptions on key roads. The Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway (NH65) near Nandigama saw vehicles moving bumper-to-bumper for kilometers as thousands entered Andhra Pradesh from Telangana. The traffic situation was worsened by pending construction work for an underpass at the Nandigama Y-Junction and potholes on the approach road, leading to long queues and delays for motorists.
