Ayudha Puja rush: 4.15 lakh passengers leave Chennai on 9,571 bus services in 3 days
Synopsis
Over three days ahead of Ayudha Puja, Chennai's transport network moved 4.15 lakh passengers on nearly 9,600 bus services — with daily special deployments quadrupling from 355 to 1,488 as the festival drew closer. Five terminals, two of them temporary, kept the holiday exodus moving.
Key Takeaways
4.15 lakh passengers departed Chennai between 15 and 17 October on 9,571 bus services ahead of Ayudha Puja .
Of the total services, 6,573 were regular and 2,998 were special holiday buses — accounting for nearly a third of all departures.
Special services grew more than fourfold, from 355 on 15 October to 1,488 on 17 October.
17 October saw the highest ridership: approximately 1.53 lakh passengers on 3,679 services .
Departures were spread across five boarding points , including temporary stands at CMDA Climate Park and Maraimalai Nagar .
The 2,528 state transport corporation buses and 470 private buses formed the special services pool.
A total of 4.15 lakh passengers departed from Chennai on 9,571 bus services over three days between 15 and 17 October 2025, as transport operators significantly scaled up capacity to handle the festive rush ahead of Ayudha Puja, according to an official release. Special services more than quadrupled from the first day to the last, reflecting the surge in outbound holiday travel.
Scale of Operations
Of the total 9,571 services operated across the three-day window, 6,573 were regular daily services and 2,998 were special holiday services. The special services comprised 2,528 buses deployed by state transport corporations and 470 private buses. Special services accounted for nearly a third of all departures during the period, according to the official figures.
Day-by-Day Breakdown
On 15 October, operators ran 2,546 services — 2,191 regular and 355 special — carrying approximately 1.15 lakh passengers. The following day, the count climbed to 3,346 services, including 2,191 regular and 1,155 special buses, ferrying around 1.47 lakh passengers by midnight. On 17 October, the highest-traffic day, 3,679 services operated — with 2,191 regular and 1,488 special buses — carrying approximately 1.53 lakh passengers, bringing the three-day cumulative total to 4.15 lakh.
Boarding Points Across Chennai
Passengers were served from five departure points across the city. The three established bus terminals — the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus at Kilambakkam, the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Bus Terminus at Koyambedu, and the Madhavaram New Bus Terminus — handled the bulk of departures. Two temporary bus stands at the CMDA Climate Park and Maraimalai Nagar were also activated to supplement capacity during the festival break.
What the Numbers Reflect
While the daily allocation of regular buses held steady at 2,191 throughout the period, special service deployments increased sharply — from 355 on the first day to 1,488 by the third, a more than fourfold rise. This scaling pattern suggests that demand consistently outpaced baseline capacity, requiring continuous reinforcement from both state transport corporations and private operators. Notably, the passenger count rose each successive day, with 17 October recording both peak services and peak ridership as the festival approached. The coordinated use of temporary terminals alongside established bus stations reflects an increasingly systematic approach by Chennai's transport authorities to managing large-scale festive travel.
Point of View
488 by day three — tells a familiar story about festive demand consistently outstripping pre-planned capacity. Chennai's decision to activate two temporary boarding points alongside its three permanent terminals reflects a more adaptive logistics posture than in past years. However, the fact that special deployments had to multiply fourfold raises a longer-term question: whether the base allocation of 2,191 regular buses is calibrated for realistic peak demand, or whether festival planning still begins too conservatively and adjusts reactively.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many passengers travelled from Chennai during the Ayudha Puja rush?
A total of 4.15 lakh passengers departed from Chennai over three days — from 15 to 17 October — ahead of the Ayudha Puja holidays. The passenger count rose each day, peaking at approximately 1.53 lakh on 17 October.
How many bus services were operated during the Ayudha Puja holiday period?
A total of 9,571 bus services were operated between 15 October and midnight on 17 October. Of these, 6,573 were regular daily services and 2,998 were special holiday buses deployed by state transport corporations and private operators.
From which bus terminals did passengers board during the Ayudha Puja rush?
Passengers boarded from five points: the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus at Kilambakkam, the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Bus Terminus at Koyambedu, the Madhavaram New Bus Terminus, and two temporary stands at CMDA Climate Park and Maraimalai Nagar.
How did special bus services change day by day?
Special services scaled up significantly each day — from 355 on 15 October to 1,155 on 16 October and 1,488 on 17 October, a more than fourfold increase over the three-day period. The regular daily allocation remained unchanged at 2,191 buses throughout.
Why did bus services increase so sharply on 17 October?
17 October was the final day before the Ayudha Puja holiday, prompting the highest outbound travel demand of the three-day window. Authorities responded by deploying the largest number of special services — 1,488 — on that day, resulting in the highest single-day passenger count of approximately 1.53 lakh.
