16 lakh passengers travelled from Coimbatore division ahead of assembly poll

Coimbatore: The Coimbatore transport division earned 4.95 crore on April 22, a day before the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, by operating over 1,650 special buses catering to more than 16 lakh passengers on the day.The division, including Tirupur, Erode and the Nilgiris, usually generates around 2.38 crore daily. Officials said a large number of people travelled from these four districts to their native places and other districts to cast their votes.The Salem transport division recorded the highest revenue, followed by Villupuram and Coimbatore on the day. With schools closing for summer holidays, many electors travelled with their children, adding to the rush at bus stands. Passengers faced inconvenience due to inadequate buses to match the unexpected crowd, particularly at Singanallur and Gandhipuram bus stands, where many waited more than five hours for buses to southern districts.Officials said they worked continuously for 36 hours, starting at midnight on April 21 and finishing on the morning of April 23. Despite the massive crowd, buses were insufficient to meet public demand.