Hyderabad: As people head to their hometowns for the Dasara holidays, bus terminals and railway stations across Hyderabad are witnessing a heavy festive rush. While the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has deployed 7,000 special buses to meet the surge in demand, regular trains to several destinations are running full, and airfares on key routes have doubled.TGSRTC has been operating special buses since Oct 10, with around 95% of the planned services operated so far. However, passengers travelling on special buses have to pay 50% more than regular fares.Anticipating a further surge in passenger traffic on Oct 17 and 18, the corporation has instructed officials to operate additional buses on routes witnessing higher demand.TGSRTC managing director Y Nagi Reddy has directed field officers to closely monitor the operation of special buses to ensure that passengers do not face inconvenience during the festive rush.He said arrangements had been made to ensure adequate drinking water, rest facilities, sanitation and security at bus stations. He also urged passengers to book their tickets in advance through the corporation’s official website, www.tgsrtcbus.in.600 special trains to ease rushMeanwhile, regular trains from Hyderabad to several destinations in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are running full as people travel home for the festival.To accommodate the additional passenger traffic, South Central Railway (SCR) is operating more than 600 special trains and augmenting services on routes witnessing high demand.Airfares double on key routesAir travellers are also facing a sharp increase in fares during the festive season. Airfares from Hyderabad to destinations such as Kolkata, Bhopal, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Patna have doubled amid rising demand and limited flight availability.
