The Tamil Nadu government will  operate 15,000 special buses from January 10 to 13 to cater to the heavy demand for travel during the Pongal holidays.

Of these, 12,000 buses will run from Chennai to various destinations across the state. These special services will augment the existing fleet of 2,092 buses that operate daily. Passengers can board these buses from the Kilambakkam, Koyambedu, and Madhavaram bus termini.

As the festive season approaches, trains departing from Chennai to southern districts are fully booked, and government bus reservations are filling up rapidly. Officials from the transport corporation have reported that over 75,000 reservations have already been made, with numbers expected to surge from January 6.

The Pongal holidays have been officially declared for January 14, 15, and 16 (Tuesday to Thursday). If the state government approves the Government Employees Union’s request to declare January 17 a holiday, it will result in an extended six-day break, including the weekend (January 18 and 19).

A meeting led by Transport Minister SS Sivasankar on January 6 will finalize the special bus arrangements, following which an official announcement is expected.