Heavy traffic was seen on all the major thoroughfares with many people returning to workplaces after celebrating Sankranti festival on Sunday.
Vehicular movement was slow on the national highways leading to Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and other cities, while heavy traffic was seen at some toll gates as many private vehicles and buses queued up on the roads. Huge rush was seen at all the bus and railway stations, and the APSRTC and Indian Railways were operating special services to clear the festival rush.
“Expecting traffic problems and non-availability of tickets, we came on a two-wheeler from Hyderabad to Narsapur. Still we were caught in the traffic for some time,” said K. Balaji, who was travelling with a friend.
Meanwhile, traffic moved slowly in the morning due to fog. Many people started after ‘Amavasya’ timings, which were up to post 12 p.m. on Sunday, said V. Vasanth Kumar, a techie who was travelling to Chennai in a car.
NTR Police Commissioner S.V. Rajasekhar Babu said that police were monitoring the traffic movement through drones at Kanchikacherla, Nandigama, Jaggaiahpeta and on A.P.-Telangana borders. “Additional staff have been deployed at the toll gates to prevent traffic congestions,” the Police Commissioner said. He appreciated the traffic and law and order police for avoiding traffic congestions despite heavy rush.
Long queues were witnessed on Guntur-Hyderabad, Vijayawada-Chennai, Vijayawada-Hyderabad and other national highways and State highways.
“More traffic is expected for the next few hours and the rush may continue till Monday evening,” said a police officer who was regulating traffic on Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway.
Published – January 18, 2026 09:36 pm IST
