Kilambakkam bus terminus faced severe congestion as lakhs of passengers returned to Chennai after four days of holidays, with heavy rain, overloaded roads and unfinished pedestrian infrastructure slowing traffic from Singaperumalkoil to Perungalathur.
About 4.5 lakh passengers had travelled out of the city in government buses alone, according to the report, and many got down in front of the Kilambakkam terminus. Passengers then had to cross the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway to reach the terminus and board Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses to destinations across the city.
Hundreds of passengers, including people carrying luggage and travelling with children, were seen crossing the road from early morning. Police frequently stopped cars, vans and other vehicles heading towards Chennai to allow pedestrians to pass. The skywalk near the terminus has not yet been completed, leaving passengers dependent on surface-level road crossings.
The congestion affected a long stretch of the Chennai-Tiruchy road, where government buses, private cars and vans moved in bumper-to-bumper traffic from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning. Continuous rain left the roads wet and slippery, further slowing vehicle movement.
Traffic congestion was reported at Urapakkam, Kilambakkam, Guduvanchery, Vandalur, Chromepet, Pallavaram, Perungalathur, Tambaram and Singaperumalkoil. The vehicle flow at Padalam and Pukkathurai was reported to be smoother than in previous years, while online toll payments helped vehicles cross the tollgate without much delay. Traffic nevertheless slowed significantly from Singaperumalkoil.
Passengers also said they continued to depend heavily on MTC services because construction of the Kilambakkam railway station has been pending for three years. Thousands of train passengers who got down at Tambaram waited at the bus stand for onward services, while some used autos.
MTC operated additional buses from early morning, with services available from both Kilambakkam and Tambaram at regular intervals. The buses remained heavily crowded as large numbers of passengers used them to continue their journeys. People carrying baggage and travelling with children had to squeeze into the packed services.
The immediate traffic management response involved police regulating pedestrian crossings and MTC increasing bus operations. The unfinished skywalk and delayed railway station remain key gaps in the public transport connections serving the terminus.
