The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate 15,659 buses, including 9,086 special services, from November 5 to 7 to manage the Deepavali travel rush from Chennai to destinations across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring regions, Transport Minister A. Vijay Thamizhan Parthiban said after a review meeting in Nandanam.
The corporation will run 11,967 services, including 6,815 special buses, for the return journey from November 9 to 10. The additional movement is expected to be particularly heavy because the state government has declared November 9 an additional holiday, while Deepavali falls on a Sunday.
Outbound buses will operate from five locations: the Kilambakkam mofussil terminus, Koyambedu terminus, Madhavaram terminus, a temporary bus stand near the CMDA climate park close to Kilambakkam and another temporary stand at Maraimalai Nagar. The transport department has released destination-wise boarding details to reduce last-minute confusion for passengers.
Buses to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Sengottai, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Salem, Thoothukudi and Coimbatore will leave from Kilambakkam. Services to Vandavasi and Polur will operate from the temporary stand near the climate park. Buses to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam will depart from the Maraimalai Nagar stand.
Koyambedu will handle buses travelling through the East Coast Road, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Bengaluru and Tiruttani. Additional services to destinations including Tiruchi, Salem, Kumbakonam and Tiruvannamalai will also operate from the terminus. Passengers can book direct services from Thiruvanmiyur, Avadi, Tambaram, Tiruvottiyur, Siruseri, Adyar, Broadway, Egmore, Ambattur, Taramani, Island Grounds, Guindy, Velachery, Poonamallee and Saidapet.
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation will run additional link buses between Koyambedu and Kilambakkam. Free link services will connect Kilambakkam with the Maraimalai Nagar temporary stand. The minister said passengers would be able to use ten booking centres at Kilambakkam and two each at Koyambedu and Madhavaram, besides booking through the TNSTC mobile application and website.
The state has requested Southern Railway to operate additional suburban train services to handle the extra demand. The transport department also plans to install more mobile phone towers at Kilambakkam to support internet connectivity. A round-the-clock control room will function at the terminus, while information desks will provide details on bus operations.
The minister advised people travelling by car or other private vehicles to avoid the Perungalathur route and use Old Mahabalipuram Road or the Vandalur Outer Ring Road instead. The announced bus operations and passenger assistance arrangements will cover the main outbound period through November 7 and the return period from November 9 to 10.
