Hyderabad: December 30 Posted on 5:41 PM IST
Anticipating heavy vehicular congestion during the upcoming Sankranti festival, the Telangana government has requested temporary toll-free travel on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada national highway to facilitate smoother traffic movement.
Telangana Minister for Roads and Buildings and Cinematography Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, urging the Centre to suspend toll collection for few days in January 2026 in the interest of the general public.
According to the proposal, toll-free travel has been sought for vehicles moving from Hyderabad to Vijayawada between January 9 and January 14, a period that typically witnesses a massive outbound rush ahead of the Sankranti festivities. Similarly, the state has suggested toll exemption from January 16 to January 18 for vehicles returning to Hyderabad after the festival.
In his latter, the minister highlighted that Sankranti is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Every year, the festival leads to a sharp spike in vehicular traffic along the Hyderabad–Vijayawada corridor, one of the busiest national highways in the region.
Official toll data indicates that traffic volume during the Sankranti period increases to nearly 200 percent of normal levels. This surge often results in long queues and extended waiting times at toll plazas, causing inconvenience to commuters and increasing the risk of road accidents.
Major congestion points identified along the highway include Panthangi, Korlapahad, and Chilakaluripet. Traffic bottlenecks in these areas are further worsened by nearby junctions, surrounding habitations, and ongoing infrastructure works.
The Telangana government stated that it is already coordinating with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and traffic police departments to manage the expected rush. However, it believes that a temporary suspension of toll collection would significantly ease congestion and ensure safer travel conditions.
Mohammed Naseer Giyas is a multi-media and bilingual journalist with over 20 years of experience across print, digital, and television media. Founder of Raftaar-e-Deccan, he is an alumnus of IVLP, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and ICFJ, and has worked with leading English and Urdu news organisations.
