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Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
6L people used Kilambakkam bus terminus in five days: Govt
Chennai: Amid backlash over delays and crowding at the Kilambakkam bus terminus during the Bakrid and muhurtham weekend rush, state govt claimed that more than 6 lakh passengers were transported in 11,026 special and regular buses from June 4 to 8. State transport officials said 3,028 buses, including 936 specials, operated out of Chennai on June 7 alone, ferrying 1.66 lakh passengers. This comes days after hundreds of stranded passengers staged a road roko on NH-45 outside Kilambakkam late on Wednesday night, blocking traffic for nearly four hours. With complaints mounting, State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) has now blamed long-running flyover work on the GST Road stretch between Maduranthakam and Melmaruvathur for the cascading delays. SETC managing director R Mohan, in a letter to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), urged urgent widening of the single-lane service road that has become a choke point for buses arriving from southern districts. The letter notes that vehicles get trapped for up to 1.5km in this bottleneck, losing 45 minutes to 1 hour in the process. "During holidays, the situation worsens with heavy vehicles slowed by pothole-ridden service roads," it said. NHAI officials said they have already provided a two-lane service road but blamed the narrowed usable width on vehicles parked by residents and TNSTC buses halting at roadside eateries. They assured that two underpasses being built at Padalam and Uthiramerur would ease congestion within 8-9 months. Meanwhile, the crowding has triggered sharp political responses. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed DMK govt for opening Kilambakkam without proper planning. "People are still suffering one and a half years after the new terminus opened. The govt couldn't even ensure basic bus availability," he said. TVK's Nirmal Kumar also criticised the "hurried opening" of the terminus, calling it a failure in transport connectivity. "From day 1, passengers have struggled to even reach Kilambakkam. On June 4, people waited with infants for hours, and the govt blamed festival restrictions to mask its mismanagement," he said.
New Indian Express
07-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu announces special buses, trains for Girivalam
CHENNAI: With lakhs of devotees from various parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh expected to take part in the Girivalam during the Tamil month of Chithirai, the Southern Railway and the state transport department has decided to operate special trains and buses respectively to Tiruvannamalai on May 11 and 12. The state transport department announced that a total of 5,932 special buses would be operated from Chennai and other parts of the state to Tiruvannamalai ahead of Chithirai Pournami. According to an official statement, 1,156 special buses will depart from KCBT, Kilambakkam and 150 from Madhavaram (MMBT) on May 11. On May 12, 966 buses from KCBT and 150 from MMBT will run to Tiruvannamalai. Furthermore, 1,940 special buses from other parts of the state will operate on May 11, followed by 1,530 on May 12. The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) will also run 40 sleeper-cum-seater buses to Tiruvannamalai on both days. Regarding trains, an official note stated that the Villupuram-Tiruvannamalai unreserved special train will depart from Villupuram at 9.25 am and 9.15 pm on May 11 and 12 (Saturday and Sunday), and reach Tiruvannamalai at 11 am and 10.45 pm, respectively. For the return journey, the Tiruvannamalai-Villupuram unreserved special train will depart from Tiruvannamalai at 12.40 pm on both days, arriving in Villupuram at 2.15 pm. Moreover, another Tiruvannamalai-Villupuram unreserved special train will leave Tiruvannamalai at 3.30 am on May 12 and 13 (Sunday and Monday), reaching Villupuram by 5 am.
