Ahead of Deepavali set up temporary bus terminals

Temporary bus terminals have been established in Chennai to facilitate travel during the Deepavali festival, the Transport Minister has said.

A review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Transport Minister A. Vijay Tamilan Parthiban to discuss arrangements, including special buses and travel facilities for people living in Chennai and other places who wish to travel to their native towns for the festival.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, the Minister said that a total of 15,659 buses, including special services, would be operated from November 5 to 7 for Deepavali. In addition, 11,197 buses would be operated for passengers returning to Chennai from various parts of the State.

As usual, buses would depart from the Kilambakkam, Madhavaram and Koyambedu bus terminals. However, the utilisation of free bus services connecting these terminals was low, while efforts were also needed to avoid overcrowding.

Therefore, passengers who have booked their tickets can board direct buses to Koyambedu, Kilambakkam and Madhavaram from 16 locations across Chennai. Passengers can select their preferred boarding point from the list of 16 locations while making their reservations.

Bus terminal-wise arrangements

- Kilambakkam terminal: Buses bound for Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tiruchi, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Sengottai, Tirunelveli, Salem and Coimbatore.

- Koyambedu terminal: Buses operating on the East Coast Road, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Bengaluru and Tiruttani routes.

- Madhavaram terminal: Buses bound for Andhra Pradesh via Ponneri and Uthukottai, besides the regular services to Tiruchi, Salem, Kumbakonam and Tiruvannamalai.
Temporary bus terminals

- Kilambakkam open ground: Buses bound for Vandavasi, Polur and Tiruvannamalai.

- Maraimalai Nagar: Buses bound for Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam.

Reservation facilities

Passengers can book tickets through the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation's TNSTC mobile application or its website, www.tnstc.in.

Direct bus services will also be operated for passengers who have made reservations from 16 locations in Chennai: Thiruvanmiyur, Avadi, Tambaram, Tiruvottiyur, Siruseri, Adyar, Broadway, Egmore, Ambattur, Taramani, Island Grounds, Guindy, Velachery, Ashok Pillar, Poonamallee and Saidapet.