Chennai, Jan 12 (NationPress) Approximately 11 lakh individuals departed from Chennai over the weekend, heading to various locations across Tamil Nadu and neighboring regions in anticipation of the Pongal festival. This mass exodus has resulted in a significant spike in the need for public transportation and severe traffic congestion on major roadways.

The railway system managed the majority of this festive influx. A total of 97 trains were dispatched from Chennai Central, while 85 trains left from Chennai Egmore and Tambaram during Saturday and Sunday. These combined services can accommodate roughly 3.65 lakh passengers each day.

According to railway officials, over the past two days, it is estimated that more than seven lakh passengers traveled by train from the city. To meet rising demand, additional special trains were put into service to popular destinations such as Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, and Tiruchy.

On the roads, however, travelers faced significant delays. National highways leading out of the city experienced heavy traffic, particularly on GST Road, where vehicle queues extended from Tambaram to Guduvanchery for several hours.

Traffic police deployed extra personnel and implemented diversions at crucial intersections to regulate the flow, yet the volume of vehicles continued to challenge road capacity throughout the weekend.

The State Transport Department reported that bus services were notably increased to cater to the large number of travelers.

In an official announcement, the department revealed that 5,510 buses operated from the Kilambakkam, CMBT, and MMBT bus stations over the weekend, transporting nearly 2.47 lakh commuters.

By January 11, about 2.18 lakh passengers had already booked tickets on government buses. Officials indicated that in addition to the 2,092 regular services run daily, a total of 10,245 special buses had been scheduled between January 9 and 14 to meet festive demand.

This boost in bookings is attributed to the recent addition of multi-axle SETC buses and more new buses across various transport corporations.

Private bus services, which normally cater to around 60,000 passengers daily, also experienced increased demand. Fares on several routes rose by nearly 25 percent, although operators ensured that prices remained within the approved tariff.

For multi-axle Volvo buses, fares were set between Rs 3,600 and Rs 4,000 on selected long-distance routes. As the Pongal festivities reach their peak in the coming days, authorities anticipate continued pressure on transportation networks and have advised travelers to plan their return journeys ahead of time.