BENGALURU: The city’s roads are likely to be peaceful this Saturday, with several of the city’s residents taking advantage of the weekend and Dussera to head out for a quick vacation. With several companies, including government offices, remaining closed on Thursday for Ayudh Pooja, Friday for Vijaydashmi, popular tourist destinations across the state will host vacationers with most hotels reporting full bookings.
“We have a five-day work week and were given Friday off as well due to Dussera. So this was the perfect chance to head out from the city. As we had not seen the Mysuru Dussera festivities before, we included it on a three-day trip to Coorg (Kodagu),” said Rishitosh Singh, who works at a financial firm in the city.
Others used the holidays to make a quick trip back home. “I was missing Durga Puja back home in Kolkata and had already decided to take a few days off during this weekend. I have booked my tickets for a four-day trip and will be back to work on Monday,” said Sushmita Neogi, a resident of Whitefield.
According to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), all buses to destinations across the state and other nearby states were completely booked. “There are no seats left in spite of arranging for extra buses,” a KSRTC official said. In places like Chikamagalur, Kodagu, Hassan and Sakleshpur, homestay owners said that they had booked out.
“Our room bookings were completed even before the beginning of the week and we are sending away walk-ins. The rains have also co-operated and the weather is not as bad as it was a few weeks back,” said the manager of a eight room homestay in Chikamagalur.
For those who choose to remain in the city this weekend, it will mean a peaceful drive with little or no traffic. “I am working on Saturday so we couldn’t head out of the city. On Friday itself, roads were quite free and it took me half of the time I usually take to travel from my parents house in Jayanagar to my house in Hebbal,” said Nachiket MH, who works in Manyata tech park.
Private self-car rentals also witnessed increased bookings for the weekend as many chose to go for road trips. “We wanted to drive down to the coast and decided on a drive through Gokarna to Goa from Bengaluru. With four days of holidays, it was the perfect chance to drive in leisure and come back refreshed for the next week,” said Janaki Bhatt, a resident of Indiranagar.