Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing Assembly elections in Telangana, a significant number of voters migrated from Hyderabad to their hometowns causing congestion at major transportation hubs. There has been a sharp rise in commuters, including students, professionals and migrant workers since yesterday at the Jubilee Bus Station (JBS), Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) and railway stations.
The exodus primarily comprised people eager to reach their native villages to cast their votes. Notably, a major chunk of these people are aged between 22 to 25 years, particularly students pursuing intermediate and engineering degrees.
"I am going to my hometown, Khammam to cast my vote for the first time. I will discuss it with my parents and decide for which party I should vote", said a BTech student.
"We have been working in Hyderabad for a long time now. Now, we are going to our village to exercise our democratic rights", said a family member from Kalvakurti constituency.
However, this mass movement resulted in challenges for regular commuters as the Regional Transport Corporation (RTC) buses are either being used for transporting staff and election equipment or to cater to election duties.
Consequently, individuals heading to villages faced prolonged waiting time, occasional scarcity of seats and overcrowded buses. Despite the hardships, many were determined to exercise their democratic rights with some even resorting to unconventional travel modes.
A woman from Hujurnagar constituency, who is working in an engineering college in the city, said that she came to MGBS to exercise her right to vote in the town even though the bus was so crowded that she could not find any seat. An RTC supervisor at JBS said, "The shortage of buses is because about 20 per cent of the buses are sent for election duty".
In response to the overwhelming demand for transportation, 3280 buses regularly operating from Hyderabad to the villages were supplemented by additional buses anticipating the election rush. Yet, the congestion persisted at major transportation hubs throughout the day, including MGBS, JBS, and various other locations on the city outskirts, indicating the intensity of this pre-election migration.
Ranga Reddy RM Sridhar said, "Due to the influx of passengers, we have prepared deluxe buses as well as metro express from all the depots in the city. We are also running 850 additional buses till 7 pm, keeping another 400 buses ready".
Moreover, the migration wasn't limited to buses alone as a significant number of individuals opted for two-wheelers and personal vehicles to reach their hometowns. Private employees and individuals from distant areas affirmed their commitment to vote, even if it meant navigating through the city's congested roads for several hours.
Train services also experienced an unprecedented surge, with Secunderabad Railway Station witnessing a heavy influx of passengers since Wednesday morning. Station authorities increased police presence to manage the rush as several express trains toward various destinations were reported fully packed. Passengers resorted to sleeper coaches as general compartments were overcrowded.
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