36 vehicles every minute: Festive rush pushes Panthangi toll traffic to 52,000 in a day

Heavy rush at Panthangi toll plaza in Nalgonda district as AP origin people head back home during festival. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

An average of 36 vehicles crossed the Panthangi toll plaza every minute on Saturday (October 17), as the festive rush on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada National Highway (NH-65) pushed traffic to 52,000 vehicle crossings in 24 hours, a sharp increase from approximately 37,000 recorded just ten days earlier.

The surge in vehicular movement, coinciding with the Bathukamma and Dasara festivities, saw thousands of motorists travelling between Hyderabad and towns across Andhra Pradesh, with long queues and slow-moving traffic reported near the toll plaza and adjoining stretches of the highway.

According to an officer from the toll plaza’s control room, 52,000 vehicles crossed Panthangi in both directions between midnight on October 17 and midnight on October 18, translating to an average of approximately 2,167 vehicles every hour.

The figure marked a considerable jump from the 49,000 crossings recorded on Friday (October 16) and approximately 37,000 on October 7, reflecting a 40.5% increase in daily traffic over ten days.