CHENNAI: In anticipation of an increased number of passengers due to the end of summer holidays in the upcoming weekend, the State Transport Undertakings has announced the operation of 2,513 special bus services across the State.

According to a statement from the managing director of the SETC, additional buses will be operated on May 30 and 31, and also June 1 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) to accommodate the surge in passengers travelling from and to Chennai and other locations in TN.

From Kilambakkam bus terminal, special buses have been scheduled to key destinations like Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchy, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Tirupur. On May 30, as many as 570 special buses will operate from Chennai followed by 605 buses on May 31.

Services from Koyambedu to Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Hosur, and Bengaluru will include 100 special buses on May 30, and 90 more on May 31. From Madhavaram, it’s 24 special buses on both May 30 and 31.

From Bengaluru, Tirupur, Erode and Coimbatore, around 250 special buses have also been planned to various destinations.

To facilitate the return of travellers to Chennai, Bengaluru, and other cities on June 1 (Sunday), around 850 special buses will be deployed from various hometowns and destinations in Tamil Nadu, based on expected demand.

So far, 8,119 passengers have made reservations for Friday, 7,304 for Saturday, and 10,523 for Sunday. As the number is expected to increase further, passengers are encouraged to book their tickets in advance through the official TNSTC website (www.tnstc.in) or via the mobile app to avoid overcrowding and inconvenience.