Chennai: Transport minister A. Vijay Thamizhan Parthiban on Wednesday announced that the TNSTC would run a total of 15,659 buses including 9.086 special buses from November 5 to 7 to meet the rush of passengers going to their native places for the Deepavali celebrations. In the return direction, a total of 11,967 services including 6,815 special buses would be operated from November 9 to 10.
A large number of people are expected to leave for their native places since the State government had announced an additional holiday of November 9 even though the festival falls on a Sunday. Addressing the media after a review meeting with the officials at Nandanam, the minister said the buses would be operated from five places including the Kilambakkam mofussil terminus, Koyambedu terminus and the Madhavaram terminus besides temporary bus stands at the CMDA climate park near the terminus and Maraimalai Nagar.
The minister gave the details of the places from which the buses to various destinations would be operated so that the passengers need to run here and there at the eleventh hour to search the location. He said the buses going to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Sengottai, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Salem, Thoothukudi and Coimbatore would be operated from Kilambakkam terminus.
He said a temporary bus stand would function near the Climate Park near the Kilambakkam terminus where buses to Vandavasi and Polur would be operated. In the temporary stand at Maraimalai Nagar, buses to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam would be operated.
Buses going through East Coast Road, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Bengaluru and Tiruttani would start from Koyambedu terminus and buses going towards the direction of Andhra Pradesh and additional buses to Tiruchy, Salem, Kumbakonam and Tiruvannamalai would be operated, the minister said. Passengers could book tickets to travel from Thiruvanmiyur, Avadi, Tambaram, Thiruvottiyur, Siruseri, Adyar, Broadway, Egmore, Ambattur, Taramani, Island Grounds, Guindy, Velachery, Poonamallee and Saidapet directly.
The MTC will operate an additional sufficient number of link buses to the Kilambakkam bus stand from Koyambedu for the benefit of the passengers. Link buses would also be operated free of cost from Kilambakkam to Maraimalai Nagar temporary bus stand, he added. The State government had requested southern railways to operate additional suburban trains to mee the additional rush and more cell phone towers would be set at the Kilambakkam terminus for interrupted internet services for the mobiles.
The minister requested those using cars and other vehicles to avoid the Perungalathur route and take the Old Mahabalipuram Road or the Vandalur Outer Ring Road. He said MTC would operate link buses to Maraimalai Nagar temporary bus stand free of cost from Kilambakkam terminus and sufficient number of MTC bus services from Koyambedu to Kilambakkam.
Vijay Thamizhan Parthiban said there would be ten booking centres at Kilambakkam, two each at Koyambedu and Madhavaram. The passengers could also book tickets online using the TNSTC mobile app and website. He also announced the functioning of a round the clock control room at Kilambakkam terminus and information desks at various places to know the details of bus operations.