CHENNAI: Traffic on the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway as people started to leave for their native ahead of the Pongal Holidays.

As lakhs of people travelled out of the city to their native places following the Pongal Holidays the traffic was heavily affected in the National Highways from Friday midnight. The junctions like Pallavaram, Chromepet, Tambaram, Perungalathur, Guduvanchery, Maraimalai Nagar, and Singaperumal Koil were heavily affected and the vehicles were moving at a snail's pace.

Usually, the traffic will be in the peak hours in the morning and evening but this time it was uncontrollable and there was huge traffic even in the noon. The commuters said that the private buses are encroaching on the highway in Tambaram, Pallavaram, Chrompet and Perungalathur and it is the main reason for the traffic in all those important junctions.

The bus drivers stop the buses on the roadside and wait for a long time till their seats get filled. Even the traffic police couldn't control the traffic and the commuters were put to suffer for the entire day.