Deepavali: Buses ferry more than 8.3 lakh passengers from Chennai in three days

CHENNAI: More than 8.30 lakh people have travelled from Chennai to various destinations across Tamil Nadu over the past three days in both government and omnibuses ahead of the Deepavali festival.

According to official data, between October 16 and 18, a total of 6,15,992 passengers travelled on Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses, while 1,74,350 passengers used omnibuses to reach their hometowns. On October 19, an additional 41,700 passengers had pre-booked tickets on omnibus services, taking the combined total to more than 8.30 lakh passengers.

Omnibus operations recorded the following figures: 47,610 passengers travelled in 1,383 buses on October 16; 74,400 passengers in 1,960 buses on October 17; 52,340 passengers in 1,360 buses on October 18; and 41,700 passengers had booked tickets in 1,160 buses bound for southern districts as of 11 am on October 19.

In the government sector, as part of the Deepavali special services, all 6,276 regular buses and 5,570 special buses were operated from Chennai between October 16 and 18, carrying more than six lakh passengers. On Saturday (October 18) alone, 2,834 special buses, along with 2,092 regular services, were operated, transporting 2,56,152 passengers.

Transport Minister SS Sivasankar inspected the operations at the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT), Kilambakkam, on Saturday, reviewing passenger facilities and travel arrangements.

During his inspection, the Minister interacted with drivers and conductors, urging them to operate the vehicles carefully and ensure passenger safety. He also spoke to commuters to gather feedback on the special services, which aim to enable the public to reach their native places comfortably and celebrate the festival peacefully.

For the return leg after the festival, 15,129 buses will be operated from October 21 to 23, including 4,253 special buses to Chennai and 4,600 services from other major towns.

So far, 3,59,448 passengers have pre-booked their travel on government buses for Deepavali this year, compared with 3,49,893 bookings last year.

Passengers can contact 94450 14436 (available 24x7) for queries or complaints related to government bus operations. For issues such as overcharging by omnibuses, the public can reach the toll-free helplines 1800 425 6151, 044-24749002, 044-26280445, and 044-26281611, or contact the All Omni Bus Owners’ Association at 94440 39661.

For the convenience of city commuters, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation is operating round-the-clock link buses between the Koyambedu bus terminus and the special bus stations at Kilambakkam and Madhavaram.