Chennai: With hundreds of thousands of people having travelled from Chennai and its surrounding areas to their hometowns to cast their votes in the Tamil
Nadu Assembly elections, officials have announced that 14,508 special buses will be operated today and tomorrow to facilitate their return to cities, including Chennai. Taking into account the large volume of passengers returning across Tamil Nadu, the State Transport Corporation has arranged for additional services to major cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Trichy.
Voter exodus before polling
The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections concluded on April 23. To fulfill their democratic duty, hundreds of thousands of people from Chennai alone travelled to their hometowns using government buses, private buses, trains, and private vehicles. Special buses were also operated for this purpose. Reports indicate that approximately 6.27 lakh people travelled to their hometowns via more than 11,000 buses operated on April 21, 22, and 23, while about 3.50 lakh people travelled via 6,000 Omni buses. Furthermore, over 9 lakh people travelled by train, and more than 60,000 people travelled via other vehicles, including private and hired cars.
Return journey arrangements
With the voting process now concluded, people are planning their return to Chennai. The Tamil Nadu State Express Transport Corporation has announced that 14,508 special buses will be operated today, April 25, and tomorrow, April 26, to ensure a convenient return journey for those who travelled to their hometowns for the election.
Breakdown of bus services
On April 25, 1,295 extra buses will be operated in addition to the 2,092 daily scheduled buses, alongside 2,500 special buses running from major towns to various destinations. On April 26, a total of 14,508 buses are scheduled to be operated, comprising the 2,092 daily scheduled buses to Chennai, 3,184 special buses bound for Chennai, and 3,345 special buses bound for other towns.
Advance booking information
In a statement issued regarding this matter, the Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu State Express Transport Corporation announced that these special buses have been scheduled to operate in addition to regular daily services. As of now, 19,676 passengers have already booked their tickets for April 25, and 47,001 passengers for April 26. As these numbers are likely to increase further, passengers planning long-distance travel are requested to book their tickets in advance via www.tnstc.in or the mobile app to avoid overcrowding.
