3,565 special buses to Kilambakkam to handle post-festival rush

CHENNAI: The State Transport department will operate 3,565 special buses to Kilambakkam today and tomorrow (September 14-15) to handle the expected rush of passengers returning to Chennai after the Vinayaka Chaturthi holidays.

Of the total, 2,240 buses will be operated on September 14 and 1,325 on September 15. Another 160 special buses will be operated to Madhavaram, while 370 buses will run via ECR to Koyambedu.

Around 2.31 lakh passengers travelled from Chennai to various parts of TN in State-run buses on September 11 and 12 for the holidays. Transport officials expect a heavy influx into the city on Monday and Tuesday from Tiruchy, Madurai, Dindigul, Salem, Krishnagiri, Hosur, Vellore, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and other places. Officials at the terminals have been instructed to deploy additional buses based on demand.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) operates 508 buses on 47 routes, making 2,107 trips from Kilambakkam. It also operates 130 buses with 1,362 trips on nine routes through Kilambakkam. An additional 50 MTC buses, making 400 trips, will operate on the evening and night of September 14, followed by another 150 additional trips from the early hours of September 15.

Additional MTC buses will also be deployed at Central, Egmore and Tambaram railway stations. Services will be increased on alternative routes in areas witnessing heavy passenger demand.

Meanwhile, the Transport Commissionerate has intensified inspections of omni buses across TN ahead of Vinayaka Chaturthi. In the past three days, officials checked 3,512 buses and collected Rs 30.77 lakh towards taxes, compliance charges and fines for violations.

Inspection reports and e-challans were issued to 639 buses in which violations were detected, and action was initiated against the operators. Compliance charges of Rs 14.39 lakh were imposed, while Rs 27.58 lakh was collected as taxes payable to TN from omni buses registered in other states. Another Rs 3.19 lakh was collected as fines.

The inspections were launched following complaints that omni bus operators were charging passengers fares higher than the prevailing rates ahead of the festival.