Chennai, Jan 7
The Tamil Nadu Transport Department will operate 5,736 special buses from Chennai to various parts of the state between January 10 and 13 to manage the heavy rush during Pongal, the state’s biggest festival, which falls on January 15.
Additionally, 2,092 regular buses will operate during this period.
The transport department announced that 7,800 buses will be operated from locations outside Chennai.
For the return journey after Pongal, 5,290 special buses will operate to Chennai from various parts of the state between January 15 and 19.
This will be complemented by 2,092 regular daily services, along with 6,926 buses to destinations outside Chennai.
Buses to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tiruchy, Madurai, and other major destinations will depart from KCBT, Kilambakkam. Buses to Kancheepuram, Vellore, Bengaluru, and destinations along the ECR will leave from CMBT, Koyambedu.
Buses to Andhra Pradesh and Ponneri will start from MMBT, Madhavaram.
To prevent exploitation by omnibus operators charging excessive fares, the Tamil Nadu Transport Department has formed 30 inspection teams. These teams will begin statewide inspections this week.
Violators will face penalties, bus seizures, and temporary permit revocations.
With the festive season approaching, all trains departing from Chennai to southern districts are fully booked.
Bus reservations are rapidly increasing, with over 75,000 bookings already made.
Officials expect this number to rise significantly starting January 7. Public holidays for Pongal have been declared from January 14 to 16, creating a six-day break, including the weekend on January 18 and 19.
Pongal, one of Tamil Nadu’s most significant festivals, is marked by the state government’s distribution of gift hampers to ration cardholders. This year, the gift hamper is expected to include: Rs 1,000 in cash ,1 kg of rice, sugar, tamarind, sugarcane and 21 essential festival items.
To streamline distribution and avoid overcrowding, the government is considering direct bank transfers for the cash component.
If bank transfer challenges arise, funds will be distributed through ration shops as done traditionally, with special tokens issued.
The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 100 crore for the production of 1.77 crore dhotis and an equal number of sarees. These will be distributed to ration cardholders and beneficiaries under the Old Age Pension Scheme.
This year’s production represents a significant increase, with 77 lakh more dhotis and 53 lakh more sarees compared to the previous year.
The government has also decided to use cotton yarn for the 2024-25 production cycle and introduce polyester yarn for the 2025-26 cycle, benefiting 63,000 power looms across the state
