Tamil Nadu's Transport Department will deploy over 34,000 buses for the Pongal festival, with 22,796 operating from Chennai between January 9-14. Special buses will also run from other districts. The return journey from January 16-19 will see approximately 25,000 buses. Passengers can book tickets via app and WhatsApp, with control rooms and toll-free numbers available for assistance and to report issues like excess fare collection by private operators.