Scores head out of Chennai to die in their hometowns

In anticipation of the Lok Sabha election on Friday, hundreds of commuters departed for different areas of the state by trains, buses, or their own automobiles, causing considerable congestion on Thursday on the city’s main thoroughfares and national highways that connect to other regions.

As a consequence of the extreme demand for tickets, certain omnibuses in the Chennai-Coimbatore, Chennai-Tirunelveli, and Chennai-Nagercoil sections raised their fares by 100% to 200%. As a result, the cost of semi-sleeper seats shot up to Rs 3,500 to Rs 3,000.

“On Wednesday and Thursday, 1.1 lakh people used the services of omnibuses,” said A Anbalagan, head of the All Omni Bus Owners Association. Throughout the state, around 420 omnibus operators operate. It has been discovered that only eight operators overcharged their customers. The government has been contacted about the matter and is investigating it.

A total of 1.46 lakh passengers left Chennai in 2,899 SETC and TNSTC buses, including 807 special buses that were deployed on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to an official letter from the transport department. “On Thursday, an estimated 1.5 lakh travelers are anticipated to leave. Up to 46,503 bus tickets were booked for travel on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the statement.

In a same vein, there was congestion in both reserved coaches and ordinary compartments on trains leaving Chennai Central, Egmore, and Tambaram. The demand for tickets to places like Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, and Thiruchendur remained strong even after special trains were introduced to Coimbatore and Nagercoil.

Consequently, on Thursday evening, the Southern Railway ran a special train via Tiruchy from Tambaram to Tirunelveli. Soon after the afternoon booking window started, all of the special train’s internet tickets were sold out.

The metro’s Saturday timetable is in effect today.

Chennai: Due to the public holiday proclaimed for the Lok Sabha Elections, metro train services will run on Friday in accordance with the Saturday timetable. The metro trains will run from dawn till eleven at night. Trains will run every six minutes between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., and every seven minutes between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

According to an announcement, the services will be offered every 15 minutes between 10 and 11 p.m.