Chennai, July 31:
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations will operate 2,030 special buses across the State to handle the surge in passenger traffic during the Aadi Perukku festival and the extended weekend from July 31 to August 2.
According to officials, special services will be operated from key bus termini in Chennai, including the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) at Kilambakkam, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu, and the Madhavaram bus stand, connecting major destinations across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states.
From Kilambakkam, buses will be operated to cities such as Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchy, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Tirupur. The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) will run 420 buses on July 31, 330 on August 1, and 270 on August 2 from this terminal alone.
From CMBT, special buses will be operated to Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Hosur and Bengaluru, with 120 services each on July 31 and August 1, and 55 buses on August 2. Additionally, 200 special buses will be operated from cities such as Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur to various destinations.
From Madhavaram, buses will be operated to Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Polur and Puducherry, with 45 services each on July 31 and August 1, and 50 buses on August 2.
To facilitate the return of passengers after the festival, 420 special buses will be operated on August 2 from various parts of Tamil Nadu to Chennai and Bengaluru.
Officials said that 13,547 passengers have already booked tickets in advance for travel during the period, including 5,721 bookings for July 31, 2,396 for August 1 and 5,430 for August 2. The number is expected to rise further as the festival approaches.
Transport authorities have deployed additional personnel at major bus stations to monitor operations and ensure smooth movement of passengers.
Passengers have been advised to make use of advance booking facilities through the TNSTC mobile application and the official online booking portal to avoid last-minute inconvenience.