Chennai to see 15,659 bus services for Deepavali rush from Nov 5
Transport Minister Vijay Tamilan Parthiban announced expanded bus operations to manage festival travel ahead of Deepavali on November 8.
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate 15,659 buses from Chennai between November 5 and 7 to handle the Deepavali travel rush, according to reports by Urban Acres, Hindustan Times and Deccan Chronicle.
Transport Minister Vijay Tamilan Parthiban stated that the fleet includes 6,573 regular services, 7,427 special buses and 1,659 contract carriage vehicles leased from private operators. An additional 26,139 inter-district buses will run across Tamil Nadu during this period.
The largest single-day deployment is scheduled for November 5, with 5,061 buses leaving Chennai. This total consists of 2,191 regular, 2,316 special and 554 contract carriage buses.
To ease traffic at the Kilambakkam bus terminus, 16 boarding points have been set up for passengers with tickets booked via the official app. These locations include Tiruvanmiyur, Avadi, Tambaram, Tiruvottiyur, Siruseri, Adyar, Broadway, Egmore, Ambattur, Taramani, Island Grounds, Guindy, Velachery, Ashok Pillar, Poonamallee and Saidapet.
Parthiban warned private omni bus operators against charging excessive fares, noting that 10 buses have been impounded for such practices. The government has also doubled the daily batta for drivers and conductors.
Additional measures include installing 1.5-foot-high wooden platforms at temporary stands, providing extra seating and deploying temporary mobile towers. Packaged drinking water will be available on buses and at Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) booths for Rs 10.