An estimated 11 lakh individuals left Chennai for various destinations in Tamil Nadu and neighboring states before the Pongal festival, causing a surge in demand for public transport and congestion on major highways. Railways managed the majority of the festive travel, with 97 trains departing from Chennai Central and 85 from Chennai Egmore and Tambaram over the weekend, capable of carrying around 3.65 lakh passengers daily.
During the past two days, more than seven lakh passengers are believed to have traveled by train from Chennai, prompting the operation of additional special trains to key destinations like Tirunelveli and Nagercoil. However, road travel experienced significant delays, especially on national highways leading out of the city, such as the GST Road, where long vehicle queues were observed.
To alleviate the situation, traffic police deployed extra personnel and diversions at crucial junctions to manage the flow, but the high volume of vehicles continued to strain road capacity throughout the weekend. The State Transport Department increased bus services, operating 5,510 buses from various termini and carrying approximately 2.47 lakh commuters over the weekend.
As of January 11, government buses had already reserved tickets for about 2.18 lakh passengers, with plans for 10,245 special buses between January 9 and 14 to meet the festive demand. The rise in bookings was attributed to the introduction of multi-axle SETC buses and the addition of new buses across transport corporations. Private omnibus services also experienced heightened demand, leading to a price increase of nearly 25% on certain routes.
For multi-axle Volvo omnibuses, fares were limited to Rs 3,600–Rs 4,000 on specific long-distance routes. With Pongal celebrations expected to peak, authorities anticipate ongoing pressure on transport networks and advise travelers to plan their return journeys in advance.
