CHENNAI: Even as the government has declared a public holiday on Wednesday, the transport corporations will not operate buses in Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts.
In Chennai, 50 per cent of MTC services will be operated, similar to the pattern followed on public holidays. However, branch managers have been empowered to alter the schedule depending on patronage.
A senior transport official said services fall under essential category and hence, buses will be operated as usual in 31 districts, barring the seven districts which are likely to hit by the cyclone.
“Government buses will neither be allowed to run in the seven districts nor will they pass through these districts. This means that all the long-distance buses from Chennai to Delta and southern districts, which are operated via Villupuram and Chengalpattu, will remain suspended,” said the official.
However, buses from Chennai to Bengaluru, Hosur, Vellore, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Karur, Tiruppur, Coimbatore and other destinations in Kongu region will be operated. Both SETC and TNSTC buses will ply as per schedule.
As per the earlier announcement, services to Tirupati and other parts of Andhra Pradesh will resume on Wednesday. Since 1 pm on Tuesday, over 4,000 buses operated by Villupuram and Kumbakonam divisions of TNSTC, long-distance buses of SETC, and services of Puducherry Road Transport Corporation were suspended in seven districts.