Crowds surged at bus and train stations in Chennai as people began traveling to their hometowns to celebrate Diwali. With the demand for travel increasing, both bus and train stations saw a high volume of passengers yesterday.To accommodate the holiday rush, the Transport Department announced that it would operate 11,176 buses over three days, including 2,092 regular daily buses and an additional 4,900 special buses. Special bus services commenced yesterday, resulting in a notable rise in crowds at Koyambedu and Kilambakkam bus stations, as well as at Chennai Central, Egmore, and Tambaram railway stations.
Passengers without reservations struggled to secure seats in unreserved compartments, leading to significant overcrowding.
Officials from the State Transport Corporation commented on the situation:
“As planned, we have begun operating special buses for Diwali. In addition to the 2,092 regular buses from Chennai, we initially prepared to run 700 special buses. However, with the increasing number of passengers since yesterday evening, we will now operate an additional 2,125 special buses today to meet demand.”
To assist passengers, help centers have been set up at various points. So far, around 131,000 people have made advance bookings, and approximately 429,000 seats remain available. Currently, only 30% of the total seats have been pre-booked, officials added.