The Tamil Nadu government has announced that over 34,000 buses will run across the state during the Pongal holiday period from January 9 to January 14 to help travellers reach their hometowns smoothly for the festival.Transport Minister S. S. Sivasankar said the total includes 10,245 special buses arranged in addition to regular services, with around 11.35 lakh passengers expected to travel from Chennai alone.
Officials have also advised motorists to use alternative routes such as East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) to ease traffic. A 24-hour control room has been set up to assist travellers during the holidays.
For the return journey after Pongal, additional special buses will be run alongside daily services to manage the rush efficiently.