LS polls: 4.03 lakh passengers travel from Chennai in buses to native places to vote
On April 17, as many as 1.48 lakh passengers travelled on 2,899 buses while 2.55 lakh passengers travelled on 4,400 buses on April 18.
CHENNAI: Transport department, additional chief secretary K Phanindra Reddy said that 4.03 lakh passengers travelled in 7,299 buses operated from Chennai on April 17 and 18 to their hometowns to cast their votes.
In a statement, he said that in addition to the daily services of 2,092 buses a day from Chennai to other outstations, 2,970 special buses were operated on April 17 and 18 from Koyambedu, Madhavaram, Tambaram and Kilambakkam bus terminus.
On April 17, as many as 1.48 lakh passengers travelled on 2,899 buses while 2.55 lakh passengers travelled on 4,400 buses on April 18.
In comparison to the 2021 State Assembly polls when 1.36 lakh passengers travelled on 3,353 buses on the eve of the polling day, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, 2.55 lakh passengers travelled on the polling day eve, which is 1.18 lakh passengers more.
"The number of people who travelled on April 18 is much more than passengers who travelled on a single during the Deepavali and Pongal festival, " he said.
He noted that the Southern Railway operated a special train from Chennai to Kanyakumari and Thanjavur to Trichy via Coimbatore while it added a few coaches in some trains on April 18.