Ahead of the Sankranti festival, the KR Puram to Hoskote stretch on Old Madras Road in Bengaluru experienced a severe traffic jam on Saturday evening. This disruption was caused by the mass exodus of people leaving the city to return to their hometowns. KR Puram, a critical junction for travelers heading to Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, witnessed heavy congestion as additional buses were deployed on this route, further aggravating the traffic situation.
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Take a look at the video
Viral videos circulating on social media captured long lines of vehicles stuck for hours near the Hoskote toll booth. A post on X by the community handle Bengaluru Post reported, "Traffic jam stretches 4-5 km from KR Puram to Hoskote toll, causing delays of 2-3 hours as people travel home for Sankranti/Pongal."
In addition to the KR Puram area, other parts of the city also faced traffic snarls on Saturday night. Madiwala was notably congested as crowds gathered to board buses. Several private travel buses stopping in the middle of the road further contributed to the heavy traffic.
{{/usCountry}}In addition to the KR Puram area, other parts of the city also faced traffic snarls on Saturday night. Madiwala was notably congested as crowds gathered to board buses. Several private travel buses stopping in the middle of the road further contributed to the heavy traffic.
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Media reports indicated that around 1,000 extra buses and approximately 50,000 private vehicles were on the roads by Friday night. To manage the overwhelming crowd at bus stops, the police department deployed additional personnel. Due to Karnataka's shared borders with Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Maharashtra, festivals often trigger significant movement of people.
The Bengaluru traffic police had earlier cautioned commuters about possible traffic bottlenecks during the festive period and advised them to plan their travel accordingly. Authorities assured the public that comprehensive traffic management measures were in place to handle the increased traffic flow and ensure commuter safety and convenience.