T.N. Transport department to operate over 22,700 buses from Chennai for Pongal

The Tamil Nadu Transport department will operate more than 34,000 buses, including special buses, across the State for the Pongal festival to be celebrated on January 15 this year. Over 25,000 buses will be operated in the return directions as well.

Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar, at a press meet held at the Secretariat on Tuesday (January 6, 2026), said the operation of special buses will begin from January 9 and go on till January 14. A total of 22,796 buses, including 10,245 special buses, will be operated from Chennai to various destinations across the State. The buses will be operated from the three bus termini, namely Kilambakkam, Koyambedu, and Madhavaram, he added. 

For south-bound destinations like Puducherry, Cuddalore, Tiruchi, Madurai, Thirunelveli, Coimbatore, and Thanjavur, buses will be operated from the Kilambakkam bus terminus. To locations like Vandavasi and Tiruvannamalai, buses will be operated from the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) wing of Kilambakkam. 

Passengers travelling to Andhra Pradesh via Ponneri and Uthukottai will have to board from the Madhavaram bus terminus. Some buses bound for Tiruchi, Kumbakonam, and Salem will also run from this terminus. 

Those passengers travelling to ECR, Kancheepuram, and Thiruttani can board from the Dr. M.G.R. bus terminus in Koyambedu, same as passengers bound for Bengaluru via Vellore. 

In the return direction, bus operations, along with special buses, towards the city will begin from January 16 and go on till January 19. 

The Transport department, in addition to opening help desks at several places, has launched a special toll free no. 18004256151 in case of any complaints about private omnibus operators collecting excess fares.