Chennai witnessed heavy commuter hardship after the Tamil Nadu transport department did not arrange sufficient private buses on a contract basis for the recent continuous holiday period, according to reports.
In previous years, especially during festivals and long weekends, the government had operated contract private buses from Chennai to multiple districts including Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Nagapattinam, Theni, Erode and Salem. Each such operation reportedly carried more than 70,000 passengers.
This year, during the Vinayagar Chaturthi-linked holidays, the department did not take steps to run contract private buses. As a result, passengers at the Kilambakkam terminus on September 12 faced a shortage of buses, long waiting hours and severe crowding, with many forced to travel in delayed services.
With Ayudha Pooja and Deepavali approaching, passenger association representatives have urged the government to resume contract operations to ease congestion. Tamil Nadu Private Bus Owners Federation secretary Dharmaraj said earlier administrations deployed over 600 private buses statewide during peak periods, operated at a rate of Rs 52.40 per km, and called for timely contracts to ensure smoother travel during upcoming festivals.
