Traffic congestion around Chennai’s Kilambakkam bus terminus was controlled on Tuesday as lakhs of passengers returned from their native places after Deepavali, but unfinished pedestrian and passenger-access facilities continued to cause difficulties for commuters using the terminus and Tambaram railway station.
Tambaram police deployed hundreds of personnel along the Chennai–Tiruchy national highway and regulated buses and other vehicles near the Kilambakkam terminus. Heavy vehicles were diverted at Singaperumalkoil and Vandalur as authorities attempted to prevent the haphazard stopping of government and private buses that had previously blocked traffic for hours.
The traffic regulation began in the early morning and helped keep congestion on the highway to a minimum, according to the report. Police personnel were also stationed in front of the terminus to manage the flow of buses and other vehicles during the return rush.
However, the absence of a completed skywalk at Kilambakkam created a separate safety and access problem. Large numbers of passengers crossed the GST Road to enter the terminus, forcing police to stop vehicles and allow pedestrians to pass. The incident exposed the difficulty of managing a major regional bus interchange when pedestrian movement still depends on crossing a heavily used highway at street level.
Passengers arriving at Tambaram railway station also faced challenges in moving through the station with their luggage. Installation work for lifts and escalators was continuing on the platforms used by trains arriving from several parts of Tamil Nadu, leaving passengers dependent on staircases to exit the station.
The pressure spread across the wider transport network as passengers arriving by train and bus shifted to Metropolitan Transport Corporation services to reach destinations within Chennai. Heavy passenger movement was reported at both the Kilambakkam terminus and the Tambaram bus stop.
Passengers arriving in the early hours faced limited MTC bus frequency and some relied on autos. Auto drivers reportedly charged Rs. 500 for trips to Chromepet and Rs. 700 for Pallavaram. Many passengers waited until MTC services became more frequent as the day progressed.
The episode placed three parts of the city’s transport system under simultaneous pressure: highway traffic approaching the terminus, pedestrian access across GST Road and last-mile connections from rail and intercity bus services. Police diversions and vehicle regulation reduced road congestion, but incomplete access infrastructure and uneven early-morning feeder services continued to shape the commuter experience.
Traffic management measures were implemented during the return movement, while work on the Kilambakkam skywalk and the lifts and escalators at Tambaram railway station remained ongoing, according to the report.
