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TN announces temporary bus terminals, special services for Ayudha Pooja, Deepavali rush
TN announces temporary bus terminals, special services for Ayudha Pooja, Deepavali rush
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Chennai, To ease the festival rush, the TNSTC will operate additional special buses and run services from decentralised temporary terminals for those heading home for Ayudha Pooja and Deepavali.
Addressing reporters after a high-level review meeting with police and transport officials, Minister for Transport A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban on Tuesday outlined the plan to manage crowds and ease congestion in Chennai.
He said that, based on lessons from earlier holiday rushes, the government had set up auxiliary temporary termini alongside the newly operational Kilambakkam bus terminus to decongest traffic and streamline passenger movement.
Kilambakkam will continue to be the main hub for buses to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Trichy, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Sengottai, Tirunelveli, Salem and Coimbatore, the minister said.
The open space at the CMDA climate park, near Kilambakkam, has been designated for buses to Vandavasi, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai.
A temporary bus stand at Maraimalai Nagar has been set up to handle southbound services to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam, he said.
Free MTC shuttle services and mini-buses will operate continuously between Kilambakkam and Maraimalai Nagar to facilitate transfers.
"Koyambedu will continue regular services, supplemented by routes towards ECR, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Bengaluru and Tiruttani, while Madhavaram will handle services towards Andhra Pradesh via Ponneri and Uthukottai," he said.
Responding to complaints about high fares charged by private omnibuses during the festive season, the minister said special RTO inspection teams were monitoring operations.
Operators found overcharging passengers would face strict action, including heavy fines and seizure of vehicles, he said.
A coordination meeting with omnibus owners' associations had been convened to regulate and cap festival fares, he added.
The minister said the state government had requested unreserved special train services from Southern Railway to major destinations such as Madurai, Thanjavur and Kumbakonam, to give commuters an affordable alternative.
Ayudha Pooja falls on October 19, while Deepavali will be celebrated on November 8.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
