CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations will operate special buses across the State in view of Thaipusam and the extended weekend from January 30 to February 1, according to information released by the Managing Director of the State Express Transport Corporation.
With January 30 (Friday), January 31 (Saturday) and February 1 (Sunday) being weekend holidays coinciding with Thaipusam, a surge in passenger movement is expected from Chennai to other parts of Tamil Nadu and in the return direction. Taking this into account, the transport corporations have planned to operate special services in addition to the regular bus operations.
From the Kilambakkam bus terminus, special buses will be operated to Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchi, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Tiruppur. As many as 360 buses will be operated on January 30 and 485 buses on January 31.
From the Koyambedu bus terminus, special services will be operated to Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Hosur and Bengaluru, with 60 buses each on January 30 and January 31. In addition, 200 special buses will be operated from Bengaluru, Tiruppur, Erode and Coimbatore to various destinations across the State. From Madhavaram, 20 special buses will be operated on January 30 and another 20 on January 31.
To facilitate the return of passengers to Chennai and Bengaluru on Sunday, special buses will also be operated from all locations based on demand.
As bookings are expected to increase further, passengers travelling long distances have been advised to reserve tickets in advance through www.tnstc.in or the mobile application to avoid crowding.