Maha Kumbh rush led to 70% spike in traffic volume on eways

Lucknow: A sudden surge in traffic volume was recorded across the network of expressways in Uttar Pradesh in Jan and Feb this year due to Maha Kumbh rush.
The daily count of motor vehicles that plied on the three operational expressways (Agra-Lucknow, Purvanchal, and Bundelkhand e-ways) went up by an average of 70% in Jan and Feb this year as compared to the corresponding periods in 2023 and 2024.
From a daily average of 28,000-30,000 motor vehicles on Agra-Lucknow Expressway and 13,500-15,000 vehicles that took Purvanchal Expressway, the average daily count skyrocketed to 48,000 and 26,000 this time.
Attributing the increased traffic load to Maha Kumbh, officials said that 46.48 lakh vehicles used the three expressways between Jan 1 and Feb 28. Such a surge in traffic was recorded for the first time since the launch of high-speed corridors.
While carrying out the latest routine operations review on Monday, officials of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) also found that majority of tourist buses which arrived in Uttar Pradesh from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and southern states, were from Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Ayodhya.
Additional chief executive officer, UPEIDA, Shrihari Pratap Shahi said, "The good part is that the safety measures and improved road engineering helped in checking accidents. Though traffic load went up substantially, the number of road accidents and fatalities were low."
The maximum number of vehicles commuted via the Agra-Lucknow Expressway (28.4 lakh), followed by Purvanchal Expressway (15.2 lakh). Moreover, 2.88 lakh vehicles used the Bundelkhand Expressway during the first two months. A total of 564 accidents took place in which 40 people died and 764 were injured.
Though the Agra-Lucknow Expressway is used extensively by people who reach the state from Haryana, Rajasthan, NCR, and other northern states, maximum spike was registered on the Purvanchal Expressway, the access control road corridor which connects eastern UP and Bihar to Lucknow.
Nodal officer of the expressways maintained by UPEIDA, Rajesh Pandey, said: "An overwhelming increase in vehicular load was noticed on Purvanchal Expressway as it connects both Lucknow and east UP with Ayodhya. Ahead of six peak days of ‘Amrit snan', large scale traffic diversions were enforced to regulate traffic. Otherwise, numbers would have been much higher."
For a single journey, a commuter has to pay Rs 655 to commute between Lucknow and Agra and Rs 685 for journey between Lucknow and Ghazipur via the two e-ways. A toll fee of Rs 620 is charged for vehicles plying between Etawah and Chitrakoot via the Bundelkhand expressway.
A senior officer at UPEIDA said that traffic surged beyond imagination from Feb 1, and the rush lasted till Feb 26, the last day of Maha Kumbh.
"It appears those who were willing to visit Prayagraj by paying a premium waited for Mauni Amavasya (Jan 29), the biggest snan day, to get over. After that, we witnessed a steady increase till the culmination of Maha Kumbh," an officer said.
Kartik Verma, a resident of Vardan Khand in Gomtinagar Extension, was coming to Lucknow from Agra on February 22 via the expressway. "I felt as if I was driving on Shaheed Path. I have never seen so much traffic on the expressway in the past," he said.
While the total amount collected through toll plazas located at the entry and exit points on the three expressways is still under reconciliation, officials are confident that revenue could also have gone up by at least 70% this year.