Bengaluru saw heavy traffic jams on Thursday evening after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Thousands of vehicles flooded the city, causing massive lines at toll plazas on the Bengaluru–Mysuru highway and Tumakuru Road. Drivers reported delays stretching into several hours despite using FASTag. Commuters returning from places like Kodagu, Mysuru, and Chikkamagaluru said toll booths were overwhelmed, creating big bottlenecks that peaked late in the day. Raghavendra S., a software professional returning from Mysuru, said, "Even with FASTag, it was stop-and-go for kilometres. What should have been a three-hour drive stretched to nearly five hours. There was hardly any movement near the toll plaza, and families with children were visibly exhausted." Traffic experts said the congestion was due to many holidaymakers returning at the same time. Electronic toll systems helped reduce manual delays, but the huge number of vehicles slowed the process and caused long queues on approach roads. A senior traffic police officer from Kengeri said, "The long holiday triggered a sharp spike in inbound traffic. Anticipating this, we deployed additional personnel to ease movement. However, the volume exceeded normal weekend levels, causing unavoidable slowdowns." The chaos worsened on NICE Road where traffic at the Mysuru Road entry backed up. Commuter Suresh Kumar noted, "Earlier, it would take about 40 minutes from Mysuru Road to Bannerghatta Road via NICE Road. On Thursday, it took nearly one-and-a-half hours. After enduring highway jams, hitting another choke point was frustrating." Traffic police reported congestion on major city routes like Mysuru Road, Tumakuru Road, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli, and 8th Mile on Tumakuru Road. This follows a similar traffic jam last week, especially on December 25, when many residents left the city for holidays. Major exit points had slow-moving outbound traffic as families and groups set off for festive trips.