CHENNAI: Large crowds were seen at railway stations and bus terminals on Sunday as lakhs of people returned to Chennai after the Pongal holidays. Heavy traffic was reported on GST Road between Chengalpattu and Tambaram, and on the Bengaluru bypass from Sriperumbudur to Maduravoyal, from Saturday midnight.
The traffic jams were caused not only by Pongal travel but also because the festival came along with a long weekend. Major city roads such as ECR and OMR also had slow-moving, bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Trains coming from Madurai, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Nagercoil, and many places in Kerala were running fully packed from Friday. Government buses from southern districts were also overcrowded. Private omni buses increased their fares by 30 to 50 percent due to high demand.
Chennai Egmore and Tambaram railway stations, Tambaram bus stand, and the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) saw a huge rush from Sunday morning. Due to fewer train services, many passengers had to wait for long hours on railway platforms.
At KCBT, passengers had to pay between Rs 500 and Rs 600 for cab rides because of poor bus connections to north Chennai. Tambaram bus stand was also crowded, with buses from Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchy, and other districts bringing hundreds of passengers back into the city.