Additional buses fetch more stranded people

Buses from Bengaluru, both public and private, came back full from Chennai on Friday. KSRTC ran 10 extra schedules today. It had run eight schedules on Thursday.

A KSRTC spokesperson said the buses were going to Koyambeedu in the heart of Chennai on a different route. People have been calling the KSRTC to know where the buses depart from and are somehow managing to reach Koyambeedu from wherever they were stranded.

“Based on Thursday’s demand, we assessed that the demand on Friday too would be high and thereby, increased the number of schedules to an additional 10, apart from the normal 43 schedules. People are waiting anxiously at the bus stop for our buses.”

Private buses too have increased schedules to meet the high demand. K N Ramesh, Bus Owners’ Association, said that the private services were running 10 to 15 schedules more on Friday. “Our buses are leaving from Shantinagar, Majestic and Kalasipalya. We are trying to reach central Chennai from where there are a number of passengers.  We are returning full like on Thursday.”

The railways has introduced passenger specials and is running trains between Bengaluru and Chennai beach via Jolarpettai, Kadpadi and Perambur to carry stranded passengers back to Bengaluru.  A passenger special is running between Bengaluru City and Kadpadi too. Meanwhile, several lorries are stuck in Chennai. They are unable to reach the interiors nor come out of the City. Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners’ and Agents’ Association president G R Shanmugappa said that the Federation had sent 50 tonnes of relief material to Chennai free of cost on Friday.

The Federation has opened depots on Mysore Road, Electronic City and HSR Layout. “We have sent our boys to fetch relief material from different locations and store it at the three godowns.. We have sent food, dettol, garments clothes, rugs and other material.”
DH News service