Minister writes to Centre requesting temporary toll exemption during Sankranti

With lakhs of people expected to travel during the upcoming Sankranti festival, the Telangana government has rolled out a comprehensive action plan to ensure smooth traffic movement on national highways, especially the busy Hyderabad-Vijayawada corridor.

Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said Dr. BR Ambedkar chaired a high-level review meeting at the State Secretariat.

Addressing the authorities, the Minister instructed that all units should be on duty for three days before the holiday and three days after the holiday, and that heavy vehicles should be restricted from using the highways on the days when holiday travel is busy.

A special incident management and control room will be set up where 108 ambulances, medical teams, revenue officials, police, R&B and NHAI personnel will be kept on constant alert.

Mr. Venkat Reddy announced that he will personally monitor the situation by touring the highways on a motorcycle and conduct field inspections at critical traffic congestion points such as Toopranpet and Abdullapurmet.

He directed officials to ensure that there is no traffic congestion for hours on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway, which witnesses around one lakh vehicle movements per day during the festive season.

The minister also revealed that he has written to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari seeking temporary fee exemption during Sankranti as thousands of people will be traveling during the festival and also for Medaram Jatara. He said he was ready to meet the Union Minister personally if necessary.

“If necessary, the R&B Department is ready to make nominal payments at toll booths to ensure free flow of traffic,” he said.

Authorities have been instructed to close lanes on busy festive days, halt road works involving heavy machinery and construction activities, and carry out unavoidable work only at night when traffic is minimal.

Special attention will be given to traffic congestion prone areas like LB Nagar-Vanasthalipuram, Panama Godown, Hayathnagar, Ramoji Film City and areas like Choutuppal, Narketpally, Kattangur, Peddakaparthy, Gundrampally and Tekumatla.

R&B Special Principal Secretary Vikas Raj, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri Collector Hanumanth Rao, Nalgonda Collector Ila Tripathi and others attended the review meeting.