Tamilnadu government to operate 33,477 special buses for Pongal festival

The State Transport Department will operate a total of 33,477 buses from January 11 to 13 for the Pongal festival and from January 16 to 18 to enable their return. From Chennai, a total of 20,397 buses would be operated before and after the Pongal festival.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Transport Minister RS Rajakannappan at the Secretariat on Monday which was attended by Transport Secretary K Gopal and Transport Commissioner S Natarajan.

Minister said for the Pongal festival, 16,768 buses including 10,300 buses from the city and 6,468 buses between various destinations in the State would be operated.

In Chennai, it said, it will operate 4,000 special buses in addition to the regular service of 2,100 buses every day (6,300 buses from January 11 to 13) from five bus termini.

The long-distance buses would be operated from five bus termini located at Madhavaram, KK Nagar, Tambaram Arignar Anna bus terminus of MEPZ, Poonamallee and CMBT.

The Koyambedu bus terminus would be operating buses to Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Tiruchi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Salem, and Coimbatore. Buses plying to Ponneri, Gummidipoondi and Uthokottai via Red Hills would be operated from Madhavaram new terminus. The buses plying via ECR to Puducherry, Cuddalore and Chidambaram would be operated from KK Nagar terminus.

The Tambaram MEPZ bus terminus would have buses bound towards Tindivanam, Tiruvannamalai, Vikravandi, Panruti, and Kumbakonam, and Poonamallee bus terminus would host buses towards Kancheepuram, Vellore, Arani, Arcot, Tirupathur, and Dharmapuri.