Inter-State transport comes to a standstill across Andhra Pradesh

The State government had taken the step of not allowing vehicles from other States after completion of one-day Janata Curfew, on Sunday evening. Inter-state transport blocked.

Following the lockdown imposed by the State government, borders  connecting Telangana and Karnataka with Andhra Pradesh were closed from Monday morning, as part of precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. As a result of Inter-state transport stanstill, hundreds of vehicles have stranded on National Highway 44 and 167.

The State government had taken the step of not allowing vehicles from other States after completion of one-day Janata Curfew, on Sunday evening.

The main highways connecting AP with Telangana and Karnataka in the limits of Kurnool and Guntur districts were blocked. With this, the inter-State transport between AP, Telangana and Karnataka have come to a halt.

The check-post at Panchalinga near Pulluru Toll Plaza on National Highway 44, Bangalore to Hyderabad route in Kurnool district was shut from 6 am on Monday.

A senior Motor Vehicle Inspector Karuna Sagar Reddy said that they were not allowing any vehicles from Telangana on the directions of higher officials. He said that just emergency vehicles like ambulances and essential items like milk and vegetables were being allowed. “Even autos have not been allowed and on request of the public, we are allowing two-wheelers,” he said.

A large number of vehicles on National Highway 44 are waiting to enter AP. Up to 30-40 kms stretch from Pullur Toll Plaza to Yerravalli chowrasta in Telangana, vehicles have been stopped on the road. At the same time, with stopping of vehicles by Telangana police, on Kurnool side, massive pile-up of vehicles was seen.

S Khaleel Basha, driver of Navatha transport, coming from Hyderabad to Kurnool, said that they were facing problems in getting food and other amenities. “It is a pathetic situation prevailing on the National Highway from Monday morning. I got food from a tiffin centre at the Toll Plaza, which was two kms away from where I stopped my vehicle,” Khaleel said.

Similar situation prevailed at Chatragudi check-post, in Halaharvi mandal, of Kurnool district on NH 167, which is border of Karnataka and AP. The border areas at Bapuram check-post near Kowthalam, which is connecting Karnataka to Andhra Pradesh via Siriguppa main road and at Madavaram check post in Mantralayam mandal which is linked to NH 167 were also closed from Monday morning.

The police closed border areas of Pondugala, and inter-state check post at Vijayapuri south to restrict vehicular traffic from Nalgonda and Hyderabad. Further, the police locked the route by arranging barricades at Stuvartpuram of Bapatla mandal to stop vehicles from Prakasam district. Bapatla rural CI K Srinivasula Reddy said that they stopped every vehicle and sent them back to their destinations.

Borders closed, inter-State transport comes to a standstill across Andhra Pradesh

He urged people to cooperate with the police. DSP of Gurazala K Srihari said that they were allowing vehicles carrying essential commodities.Meanwhile, the AP lorry Owners Association (APLOA) urged the  government to allow the vehicles loaded with essential  commodities into the State after examining the drivers with thermal  scanners.