With the Pongal festival approaching, an estimated 6 lakh and five thousand passengers have travelled on government-run buses in Tamil Nadu between January 9 and January 13, as special services were deployed across the state to meet the holiday demand.Transport and Electricity Minister S S Sivasankar inspected operations at the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus in Kilambakkam on January 13, noting the smooth functioning of expanded services.
Special buses are being run from major Chennai terminals including Kilambakkam, Koyambedu, and Madhavaram New Bus Stand, with 10,245 special trips and 2,092 regular services operating over six days from the city. In addition, 11,290 special buses are running from other towns, bringing the total number of services to 34,087 state-wide.
On January 13 alone, more than 1.17 lakh passengers travelled on both daily and special buses. To assist return travel after Pongal, authorities have arranged 25,008 buses between January 16 and 19, including special and regular services from Chennai and other major towns.