Special buses for May Day weekend, Chitra Pournami fest in Tiruvannamalai

CHENNAI: The managing director of State Express Transport Corporation on Tuesday announced that special bus services will be operated across Tamil Nadu for the expected surge in passenger traffic during the continuous holiday period from April 30 to May 2, covering Thursday, May Day on Friday, and the weekend.

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations have planned to operate additional special buses alongside regular services.

From Kilambakkam, 475 special buses will be operated on April 30 to destinations including Tiruchy, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Tirupur. On May 1 and 2, around 315 buses will be operated each day on these routes.

From Koyambedu, 85 buses will be operated on April 30 to Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Hosur and Bengaluru. On May 1 and May 2, around 75 buses will be operated each day.

From Madhavaram, 14 buses will be operated daily between April 30 and May 2. In addition, 200 special buses will be operated from cities such as Bengaluru, Tirupur, Erode and Coimbatore to various destinations.

To facilitate return travel after the holidays, 615 special buses will be operated on May 3 from various parts of the State to Chennai and Bengaluru, based on demand.

For the Chitra Pournami festival at Tiruvannamalai, special buses will be operated from 9.50 pm on April 30 to 11.07 pm on May 1 for devotees travelling from Chennai and other parts of the State.

From Kilambakkam, 548 buses will be operated on April 30 (Thursday), 565 on May 1 (Friday), and 35 on May 2. From Madhavaram, 186 buses will be operated on April 30 and 174 on May 1. From Adyar, 55 buses will be operated on April 30 and 50 on May 1. Additional services will also be operated from Koyambedu.

In total, 11,823 special buses will be operated from Chennai and other places to Tiruvannamalai during the period, in addition to regular services.

The State Express Transport Corporation will operate 40 AC sleeper and seater buses from Kilambakkam to Tiruvannamalai on May 1. Services will also be operated from Madurai, Salem, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Bengaluru.

Passengers undertaking long-distance travel have been advised to book tickets in advance through the official website or mobile application to avoid last-minute congestion. Officials have been deployed at all bus terminals to monitor operations and ensure smooth travel arrangements.