Chennai, Jan 3 (IANS) With the Pongal festival approaching, the Tamil Nadu government has begun preparations to manage the sharp rise in travel across the state, particularly from urban centres to rural and semi-urban regions.
Anticipating heavy passenger movement during the festive season, the government is planning to operate a large number of special buses and has scheduled a high-level review meeting on January 6 to finalise the arrangements.
Tamil Nadu Transport Department sources indicated that nearly 1,600 additional buses are likely to be deployed during the peak travel period. These special services will supplement the regular fleet operated by the State Transport Undertakings, ensuring smoother connectivity during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.
Officials said that, apart from increasing the number of government-operated buses, the state is also considering renting private buses to meet excess demand. This step is aimed at preventing overcrowding at bus terminals and reducing the inconvenience faced by passengers, especially families travelling long distances to celebrate Pongal in their native places.
Although the festival is still nearly two weeks away, demand for travel tickets has already surged. Bus tickets for several routes, particularly those connecting Chennai with southern and western districts, are reported to be sold out.
A similar trend has been observed in the railways, with tickets for key long-distance trains filling up well in advance. To ease the pressure, Southern Railway has announced the operation of special trains on select routes during the Pongal period.
These additional services are expected to cater to passengers travelling to major destinations across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states, where large numbers of migrant workers and students are based.
Transport officials said the January 6 meeting will review passenger demand patterns, finalise routes for special buses, and determine the duration of the enhanced services. Crowd management measures at major bus terminals and railway stations are also expected to be discussed, along with coordination between the transport and police departments.
Pongal, one of Tamil Nadu’s most important festivals, traditionally witnesses a mass movement of people returning home. With early signs of heavy demand already visible, authorities hope that timely planning and increased services will help ensure safer and more comfortable travel for lakhs of passengers during the festive season.
