Road
17 events, 1836 to 2026.
1836
Red Hill Railway carries granite to Madras
Built by Arthur Cotton as an early experiment, the Red Hill Railway hauled granite from Red Hills into Madras for road works.
1911
T. V. Sundram Iyengar starts a bus service in Madurai
T. V. Sundram Iyengar began Madurai's first bus service and founded the firm that grew into the TVS Group.
1972
Pallavan Transport Corporation formed for Madras buses
The Pallavan Transport Corporation took over city bus services in the Madras metropolitan area with 1,029 buses.
1973
Anna (Gemini) Flyover opened in Madras
The Anna Flyover on Mount Road, the first flyover in Madras and then the longest in India, was opened to traffic.
1988
Road bridge to Rameswaram opened
A road bridge parallel to the Pamban railway bridge opened, giving Rameswaram island its first road link to the mainland.
1996
The Karunanidhi government introduced free bus travel for government school and college students and half fares for private institutions.
2002
Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus opens at Koyambedu
The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus at Koyambedu was opened to the public, becoming the city's main hub for long-distance buses.
2008
108 free emergency ambulance service begins
The state health department launched the free 108 emergency ambulance service, run in partnership with GVK-EMRI.
Kathipara cloverleaf grade separator opens
The Kathipara cloverleaf interchange near Guindy, one of the largest in South Asia at the time, was fully opened to traffic.
2013
The state began selling one-litre bottles of drinking water for Rs. 10 at bus termini and on long-distance government buses.
2014
Chennai Outer Ring Road phase I opens
The first phase of the Chennai Outer Ring Road, built to divert traffic around the city, was opened to the public.
2016
Free bus rides for senior citizens in Chennai
Senior citizens in Chennai were allowed ten free rides a month on ordinary city buses, using tokens issued by the transport corporation.
2018
Amma Two-Wheeler scheme for working women
Prime Minister Modi launched a 50 percent subsidy, up to Rs. 25,000, for working women buying scooters, on Jayalalithaa's 70th birth anniversary.
2021
Free bus travel for women in town buses
Among his first orders as Chief Minister, M. K. Stalin made travel free for women in ordinary state-run town buses.
Innuyir Kaappom: free emergency care for accident victims
The state began paying for the first 48 hours of emergency treatment of all road accident victims in Tamil Nadu, including in private hospitals.
2023
Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus opens at Kilambakkam
To ease pressure on Koyambedu, a new long-distance bus terminus was opened at Kilambakkam on the southern fringe of Chennai.
2026
Vettri Payanam expands free bus travel for women
Free bus travel for women was widened by the Vijay government to express and deluxe services, without any income ceiling or cap on journeys.
