The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has announced a large-scale mobilisation of buses to cope with the expected surge in passenger movement during the Sankranti festival. From 9 to 19 January, the corporation will place 6,500 special buses into service to ensure travellers reach their destinations safely and on time.
TGSRTC special buses to meet high demand
According to P.V. Munishekhar, Executive Director (Operations) at TGSRTC, capacity planning has been carried out in phases to handle what the corporation expects will be a daily inflow of passengers running into several lakh. The primary objective is to transport passengers efficiently while maintaining schedules.
Unlike Dasara, when travel is largely intra-state, Sankranti traditionally prompts significant outbound travel from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh, where the festival is observed on a larger scale. As a result, many of the special services have been routed to coastal and central Andhra destinations.
Advance bookings and peak travel dates
TGSRTC has earmarked 1,500 buses for online advance reservations. Nearly 70 per cent of seats on these services have already been booked, and officials expect the remaining seats to be filled shortly after Sankranti as last-minute planning continues. Popular destinations for reservations include Visakhapatnam, Amalapuram, Ongole and Vijayawada.
Officials identified 9 and 10 January as critical travel days, with 10 January a second Saturday offering a long weekend incentive for travellers. Passenger traffic is projected to peak on 13 January ahead of Bhogi on 14 January. Return journeys are likely to be busiest on 18 and 19 January, and TGSRTC has arranged additional services to cope with that surge.
Operational measures and passenger management
To ensure smooth operations, the corporation will deploy special teams to monitor passenger flow and bus movement at major boarding points, including L B Nagar, Jubilee Bus Station, Uppal, Aramghar and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS). Additional teams will be stationed at KPHB and MGBS to oversee passenger traffic during evening hours when movement tends to intensify.
Officials cautioned that city bus services may be temporarily affected. Around 1,500 buses from the city fleet could be diverted to meet intercity demand to destinations such as Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam. Commuters who rely on city services are advised to plan journeys accordingly and check updates from TGSRTC.
Safety remains a priority. TGSRTC said it would monitor schedules and adjust deployments in real time to reduce delays and manage passenger concentrations at major terminals. Travellers are urged to book in advance where possible and arrive at boarding points early on the anticipated peak dates.
The mobilisation demonstrates the corporation’s capacity to scale services rapidly for festival travel. With focused planning and active monitoring, TGSRTC aims to maintain a steady flow of services and minimise inconvenience to passengers during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Key Takeaways:
- TGSRTC will deploy 6,500 special buses from 9–19 January to manage high Sankranti travel demand.
- 1,500 buses available for online advance reservations, with nearly 70% of seats already booked under the TGSRTC special buses programme.
- Major outbound routes include Visakhapatnam, Amalapuram, Ongole and Vijayawada; passenger peaks expected on 9–10 and 13 January.
- Special monitoring teams will be posted at key stations and 1,500 city buses may be temporarily diverted to meet intercity demand.
