Tamil Nadu to run 14,963 buses from Chennai for Ayudha Puja festival rush
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate 14,963 buses from Chennai to various parts of the State for Ayudha Puja, which will be celebrated on October 19. The fleet includes both regular services and additional special buses.
Transport Minister A. Vijay Tamilan Parthiban announced the details after chairing a high-level coordination committee meeting in Chennai on Tuesday. Of the total, 8,764 are regular buses and 6,199 are special buses. They will be operated from the city between October 15 and 18.
Buses will depart from four points in and around Chennai: the Kilambakkam, Koyambedu and Madhavaram bus termini, and the Maraimalai Nagar bus stand.
Services bound for Puducherry, Cuddalore, Tiruchi, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Vandavasi, Polur and Tiruvannamalai will leave from the Kilambakkam Bus Terminus.
Buses to destinations along the East Coast Road (ECR), Kancheepuram, Vellore and Bengaluru will be operated from Koyambedu Bus Terminus. From Madhavaram, services will run to Andhra Pradesh via Uthukottai. Buses to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam will depart from the Maraimalai Nagar bus stand.
For the return journey after the festival, 9,191 buses will be operated between October 20 and 21 to bring passengers back to Chennai from various towns. This includes 4,382 regular buses and 4,809 special buses.
The Transport Department has opened a round-the-clock control centre to provide information on bus services. Commuters can call 9445014436 for details. A toll-free number, 1800-425-6151, has also been made available for registering complaints about overcharging.
Similar arrangements have been announced for Deepavali, which will be celebrated on November 8. A total of 15,659 buses — 6,573 regular and 9,086 special services — will be operated from Chennai between November 5 and 7. After the festival, 11,197 buses will run between November 9 and 10 from various locations towards the city.
The Minister instructed private omni bus operators on the designated locations in the city from which their services should ply, and stressed that no excess fares should be charged. He warned that strict action would be taken in the event of any violations. Representatives of the private bus owners' association also took part in the meeting.
The festival season is among the busiest travel periods of the year in Tamil Nadu, when large numbers of people working in Chennai return to their home towns. The State transport corporation arranges additional services each year to handle the surge, and the annual coordination meeting brings together officials and private operators to plan routes, timings and fare discipline.
Passengers have been advised to check departure points in advance, as services for different destinations are spread across four termini. Details of schedules and boarding points can be obtained from the control centre helpline.
