Students block Anantapur-Tirupati highway at Burakayalakota over APSRTC buses skipping stops
Students in Annamayya district blocked the Anantapur-Tirupati highway to protest against APSRTC buses frequently skipping designated stops. The protest caused significant traffic disruption until local police and transport officials intervened to address the students' grievances.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the critical reliance of rural and semi-urban students on public transport infrastructure and the potential for social unrest when such services fail.
Traffic on the busy Anantapur-Tirupati National Highway-42 came to a halt at Burakayalakota in Mulakalacheruvu mandal of Annamayya district on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) morning when about 100 students from several educational institutions blocked the road.
The students, who commute daily to government and private colleges in Madanapalle, Punganur and B. Kothakota, alleged that close to a dozen APSRTC buses were skipping their designated stops in the college zones at peak hours in the morning and evening.
“Several students depend on this Burakayalakota stop alone. When buses don’t halt, we miss classes. We are forced to take autos, paying ₹50 to ₹80 daily. During the evening, this becomes tough for women and girls,” a B.Tech student from Madanapalle said.
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