Tamil Nadu Transport Authority to Run 5,736 Special Buses from Chennai for Pongal Celebrations

Chennai, Jan 7 (NationPress) The Tamil Nadu Transport Authority is preparing to run 5,736 special buses from Chennai to multiple locations across the state from January 10 to 13 to handle the significant rush during Pongal, which is celebrated on January 15.

In addition, 2,092 regular buses will be in service during this time.

The transport authority announced that a total of 7,800 buses will be dispatched from various points outside Chennai.

For the return journey post-Pongal, 5,290 special buses will be available to Chennai from different regions of the state between January 15 and 19.

This will be supported by 2,092 regular daily services, along with 6,926 buses to other destinations outside Chennai.

Buses heading to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tiruchy, Madurai, and other major locations will depart from KCBT, Kilambakkam. Buses to Kancheepuram, Vellore, Bengaluru, and places along the ECR will leave from CMBT, Koyambedu.

Buses to Andhra Pradesh and Ponneri will commence from MMBT, Madhavaram.

To combat fare exploitation by private operators, the Tamil Nadu Transport Department has established 30 inspection teams that will begin statewide inspections this week.

Offenders will face penalties, bus seizures, and temporary permit suspensions.

With the festivity approaching, all trains from Chennai to the southern districts are fully booked.

Bus reservations are on the rise, with over 75,000 bookings already recorded.

Officials anticipate a significant increase in this figure starting January 7. Public holidays for Pongal have been designated from January 14 to 16, creating a six-day break, including the weekend on January 18 and 19.

Pongal, one of the most important festivals in Tamil Nadu, is celebrated with the state government distributing gift hampers to ration cardholders. This year's hamper is expected to include: Rs 1,000 in cash, 1 kg of rice, sugar, tamarind, sugarcane, and 21 essential festival items.

To facilitate distribution and reduce crowding, the government is considering direct bank transfers for the cash portion.

If issues arise with bank transfers, funds will be allocated through ration shops as has been done traditionally, with special tokens issued.

The Tamil Nadu government has set aside Rs 100 crore for the production of 1.77 crore dhotis and an equal number of sarees to be distributed to ration cardholders and beneficiaries of the Old Age Pension Scheme.

This year’s production marks a substantial increase, with 77 lakh more dhotis and 53 lakh more sarees compared to the previous year.

Additionally, the government has resolved to utilize cotton yarn for the production cycle of 2024-25 and introduce polyester yarn for 2025-26, benefiting 63,000 power looms throughout the state.