Big rush at toll plazas as holidaymakers head out of Bengaluru

The combination of weekend, Christmas and New Year’s holidays led to a huge surge in the number of people leaving Bengaluru on Friday. Exit gates of toll plazas in the north and south of the city witnessed traffic snarls that stretched nearly a kilometre during morning and evening peak hours.

Tumakuru Road (NH 48) saw traffic congestion throughout the day but the vehicle flow in the evening led to the bumper-to-bumper movement of vehicles. The toll plaza near the Nagasandra metro station had vehicles waiting in a queue that stretched for nearly a kilometre.

Toll authorities said that the number of vehicles exiting Bengaluru went up from the daily 36,000 to more than 50,000.

“During long weekends and holidays, the number of vehicle increases in the evening as many people pack up and leave the city for their hometowns or for vacations. Though the numbers are not comparable to the pre-pandemic days, the increase is still a good sign,” an official said.

Though the exit gates at the Attibele toll plaza did not witness traffic jams, the authorities said the number of vehicles leaving the city had gone up by about 8,000.

Meanwhile, unlike the pre-pandemic days, private bus operators did not increase the ticket fare on Friday evening. Commuters used to pay exorbitant fares for travelling on the eve of long weekends or holidays. Bus services to Mangaluru and Hubballi, for instance, would become costlier by Rs 400 to Rs 600. The pandemic has dented the spirit of the operators who are still trying to instil confidence in travellers.