CHENNAI: As the state transport department operated more than 5,500 special buses to facilitate a huge number of passengers heading to their hometowns to celebrate Pooja holidays, over 3 lakh persons traveled out from Chennai.

According to department data, in addition to 2,100 buses being operated from Chennai to other cities in the state every day, 813 special buses were deployed to manage the crowd for Friday and Saturday. In total, 5,664 bus trips left the city till Saturday midnight.

"As many as 3,00,092 passengers left the city by utilizing the total buses run on two days. The buses were operated based on an instruction from department minister SS Sivasankar, " a release said.

While several passengers left the city before Saturday midnight, a considerable number of passengers left the city on Sunday to celebrate the festival in their hometowns.