Over 15,000 special buses from today to manage Deepavali rush

CHENNAI: With thousands of people expected to leave Chennai for their native places for Deepavali, the State government has planned to operate 15,659 buses over three days from November 5-7, including 9,086 special buses, to manage the festival rush.

Transport Minister A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban announced the arrangements on Wednesday after chairing a review meeting with officials of the transport department and other agencies. The regular services will include 6,573 buses, in addition to the special services.

The government has also planned to operate 11,197 buses over two days, November 9 and 10, for the return journey to Chennai. These will comprise 4,382 regular buses and 6,815 special buses.

To streamline operations, buses will be operated from five locations in and around Chennai. The Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) at Kilambakkam will handle services to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tiruchy, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Sengottai, Tirunelveli, Salem and Coimbatore.

Buses to Vandavasi, Polur and Tiruvannamalai will operate from an open ground near the CMDA Climate Park at Kilambakkam. A temporary bus terminus at Maraimalai Nagar will handle services to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam.

Buses to ECR, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Bengaluru and Tiruttani will operate from the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu. Madhavaram bus terminus will handle services to Ponneri and Uthukottai towards Andhra Pradesh, besides regular services to Tiruchy, Salem, Kumbakonam and Tiruvannamalai.

Meanwhile, motorists heading to their native places have been advised to avoid the Tambaram-Perungalathur stretch to escape congestion. They have been asked to use either the OMR-Kelambakkam-Tiruporur-Chengalpattu route or the Vandalur Outer Ring Road-Kelambakkam-Tiruporur-Chengalpattu route.

Fourteen reservation counters will function at three locations: 10 at KCBT, two at Koyambedu and two at the temporary bus terminus in Maraimalai Nagar. Passengers can also book tickets through the TNSTC mobile application and its website, www.tnstc.in. Direct buses will be operated from 16 locations across Chennai for passengers who have booked tickets.

The transport department has established a 24x7 control room to address passenger grievances and provide information on government bus services. A round-the-clock control room has also been established at KCBT. Information centres, electronic display boards and public address systems will be provided at bus terminals to guide passengers on bus routes, departure timings and platforms.

Additional CCTV cameras will be installed at bus terminals, with officials from the police, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and transport department monitoring passenger movement. Temporary mobile communication towers will also be set up to ensure uninterrupted connectivity amid the rush.

The government has requested the Railways to operate additional suburban electric trains and special trains to Coimbatore, southern districts and the Cauvery delta region. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will operate free connecting buses between KCBT and the temporary bus terminus at Maraimalai Nagar. Adequate connecting services will also operate round the clock between Koyambedu and KCBT.

Separately, the minister held a meeting with omni bus operators and instructed them not to collect fares in excess of the prescribed rates. Operators were also advised on the locations from which their services should operate in Chennai. The minister warned that strict action would be taken against those violating the instructions.

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