Heavy Traffic Congestion at Tamil Nadu Toll Plazas as People Return to Chennai After Summer Holidays

Massive traffic congestion has been reported on major highways and toll plazas across Tamil Nadu as thousands of people return to Chennai after the summer holidays ahead of school reopening on June 4.

With schools set to reopen this week, families who travelled to their native places and tourist destinations during the summer vacation have started returning to Chennai and suburban areas in large numbers. The rush has led to heavy crowds at bus stands, railway stations and national highways over the past two days.

Government and omni buses from Tirunelveli, Madurai and Tiruchy towards Chennai were fully occupied, while passengers without prior reservations struggled to get seats. Railway stations also witnessed huge crowds, especially in unreserved compartments.

Due to the sudden increase in vehicle movement, severe traffic congestion was reported on the Chennai–Tiruchy National Highway. Long queues of vehicles were seen at major toll plazas including Ulundurpet, Vikravandi and Paranur.

In Chengalpattu, vehicles were lined up for nearly 10 kilometres, causing major inconvenience to commuters travelling towards Chennai. Motorists faced long delays during late-night and early-morning hours.

Passengers blamed the shortage of government buses and increased omni bus fares for the rise in private car usage, which further worsened the traffic situation on highways.

Travellers have urged the Tamil Nadu government to operate additional government buses to manage the heavy passenger demand and reduce traffic congestion.