CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate additional special buses and deploy services from temporary terminals across Chennai to manage the festive rush ahead of Ayudha Pooja and Deepavali.
Transport Minister A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban announced the arrangements on Tuesday after a high-level review meeting with police and transport officials. The measures aim to ease congestion and ensure smoother passenger movement during the holiday season.
Learning from previous festive rushes, the government has set up temporary terminals alongside the newly operational Kilambakkam bus terminus to spread passenger traffic and streamline bus operations.
Kilambakkam will remain the primary hub for services to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Sengottai, Tirunelveli, Salem and Coimbatore, the minister said.
The open space at the CMDA Climate Park near Kilambakkam has been designated for buses heading to Vandavasi, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai. Meanwhile, a temporary bus stand at Maraimalai Nagar will handle southbound services to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam.
To facilitate passenger transfers, free Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) shuttle services and mini-buses will operate continuously between Kilambakkam and Maraimalai Nagar.
Koyambedu will continue to serve regular routes, with additional services towards the East Coast Road (ECR), Kanchipuram, Vellore, Bengaluru and Tiruttani. Madhavaram will cater to passengers travelling to Andhra Pradesh through Ponneri and Uthukottai, he said.
Addressing concerns over private omnibus operators charging excessive fares during the festive season, the minister said special inspection teams from the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) were monitoring services.
Operators found charging fares above the permitted limits would face strict action, including hefty fines and vehicle seizures. He added that a coordination meeting with omnibus owners' associations had also been convened to discuss regulating and capping festive fares.
The state government has also asked Southern Railway to run special unreserved trains to key destinations, including Madurai, Thanjavur and Kumbakonam, to offer passengers a more affordable travel option.
Ayudha Pooja will be observed on October 19, while Deepavali falls on November 8 this year.
(With inputs from PTI)