Hundreds of stranded passengers staged a road blockade at the Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Terminus in Madurai on Sunday (31 May 2026) morning, alleging that an acute shortage of government buses had left them waiting through the night without any clear information from transport authorities, as reported in Tamil OneIndia.
Thousands of passengers travelling to Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Trichy and several delta districts had gathered at the bus terminus with their families from Saturday night, expecting special services to be operated in view of the heavy weekend rush and the reopening of schools after the summer vacation.
However, passengers alleged that despite waiting for several hours, buses to many destinations failed to arrive. Many women, children and elderly passengers were reportedly forced to spend the entire night at the bus station, with some stating they had been waiting since 8 pm or 9 pm without food, sleep or any official communication regarding bus availability.
Frustrated by the lack of response from transport officials, a large number of passengers suddenly sat on the roads near the entrance and exit points of the bus terminus and launched a road blockade protest on Sunday morning. The agitation led to severe traffic disruption in and around the Mattuthavani junction.
Passengers alleged that transport department officials failed to provide clear information about bus schedules, arrivals or delays, and stated that buses were either being diverted elsewhere or sent to depots without adequate arrangements being made for waiting travellers. Several passengers heading towards Chennai, Trichy and other major destinations said they had been unable to board a single bus despite waiting throughout the night.
Some passengers also alleged that private operators and van services were demanding exorbitant fares due to the shortage of buses. Others accused certain transport staff of favouritism in seat allocation and stated that reserved seating arrangements left very few seats available for the general public.
The protesters further alleged that drivers and conductors were unable to provide satisfactory explanations and were themselves under pressure due to the prevailing situation.
Following the road blockade, police personnel rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating passengers. After assessing the situation, the police contacted transport department officials and facilitated the operation of additional buses to clear the backlog of stranded passengers.
Passengers blamed the crisis on the authorities’ failure to anticipate the heavy holiday rush and make adequate arrangements. They alleged that ongoing modernisation works at the bus terminus, coupled with insufficient deployment of special buses, had contributed to the chaos.
The protest was withdrawn after assurances were given that additional buses would be operated. However, many passengers continued to wait for transport services, expressing concerns over the lack of planning and coordination at one of Tamil Nadu’s busiest bus terminals.
”வண்டி எங்க போகுதுனு சொல்லவும் மாட்றாங்க, போர்டும் போட மாட்றாங்க..
இதுல டிரைவர், கண்டக்டர் 150 ரூபாய் கமிஷன் கேட்குறாங்க..
கிட்டதட்ட 9 மணி நேரத்துக்கும் மேல நிக்கிறோம் ஒரு ரெஸ்பான்ஸும் இல்ல”..
மதுரை மாட்டுத்தாவணி பேருந்து நிலையத்தில் பேருந்திற்காக காத்திருந்து காத்திருந்து… pic.twitter.com/AEqCyAnHqZ
— Polimer News (@polimernews) May 31, 2026
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