CMBT is one of Asia’s Largest Bus Terminals. It is located at Koyembedu, Chennai. Buses to all major cities of South India start from here.

Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), or Koyambedu bus stand, as it is popularly known, is an ISO 9001:2000 certified bus terminus at Koyembedu, Chennai, in the Tamil Nadu state of India.

Chennai CMBT Bus Terminus – Photo by George T. George

Services

It serves many state-owned bus corporations as their terminus stop at Chennai. It was the largest bus terminus in Asia when it opened more than two decades back, in 2002.

Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) provides outstation bus services to different cities within Tamilnadu and other major cities in the neighboring states of Pondicherry, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. City bus services also operate from the front portion of the Chennai Mofussil Bus terminus CMBT. Bus transit facilities to Chennai International Airport, Chennai Central railway station, and Chennai Egmore railway station are also available from here.

Those wishing to book outstation bus tickets with Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation Ltd can do so at the official website of Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation Ltd.

Chennai City Bus Timings

Those wishing to check the Chennai city bus routes with Chennai bus route numbers and the main bus stops they cover are available at the official website of Metropolitan Transport Corporation. On their website, you can check the bus schedule of A/c Volvo metro bus routes operating in Chennai city and its suburbs.

Entry to CMBT

Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus CMBT is spread over 37 acres of land next to the SAF games village on the main 100-foot road called Jawaharlal Nehru Road.

Mofussil buses enter the CMBT bus stand through the Gate opposite the Koyembedu Police station near Koyembedu Market (one of Asia’s largest perishable goods market complexes spread over 295 acres) on the Kali Amman Koil Street. City buses enter the CMBT bus stand through the gate on the 100 feet road, alias Jawaharlal Nehru Road.

What are the Facilities Available Inside Chennai CMBT Bus Terminal?

Chennai Metro

There is an elevated Chennai Metro Railway Station inside the CBMT bus terminus.

The Blue line connects the Chennai airport to Wimco Nagar Depot through a loop line at Alandur metro station. Stations in the blue line are Chennai International Airport, Meenambakkam, Nanganallur Road (OTA),  Alandur, Ekkatuthangal,  Ashok Nagar, Vadapalani, Arumbakkam, CMBT, Koyembedu, Thirumangalam, Anna Nagar Tower, Anna Nagar East, Shenoy Nagar, Pachaiyappa’s College, Kilpauk, Nehru Park, Egmore, Chennai Central, High Court, Mannadi, Washermenpet, Sir Theagaraya College, Tondiarpet, New Washermanpet, Tollgate, Kaladipet, Tiruvottriyur Theradi, Tiruvottriyur, Wimco Nagar, and Wimco Nagar Depot.  All stations from Thirumangalam to Tondiarpet are underground stations. Other stations are Elevated stations.

The airport station is between the Domestic and International airports, facing the highway.  Metro trains pass through an underground tunnel near the old airport, but there are no stations in this underground section.

Metro stations on the Greenline are Guindy, St. Thomas Mount, Little Mount, Saidapet, Nandanam, Teynampet, and AG-DMS, which can be reached by changing the train at Alandur and boarding the metro trains at the lower level.

Other Facilities Inside CMBT

There are 180 bus bays spread across the six platforms. CMBT can handle 2,000 buses, and 2.5 lacks passengers per day.

There is a parking facility for 1500 to 2000 two Wheeler and 60 cars inside the CMBT bus terminus. A two-tier underground parking area measuring 3,000 sq. meters on an adjacent plot inside the same compound can accommodate another 1,500 vehicles. One more two-tier basement parking facility work is under construction, which, when completed, can accommodate 2500 vehicles. There is a clock room for keeping the luggage in safe custody.

Indian Railways online booking division operates a computerized Ticket booking counter with online booking systems inside the CMBT bus terminus. There is only one computer booking terminal from 2023, instead of two earlier. Life Insurance Corporation of India, LIC India, has an office inside the complex. Air-conditioned and standard retiring rooms are available in the complex at affordable rates.

There is a police station inside the complex. Pre-paid auto services are available from the front side of the complex.

Private Long Distance Bus Service Facilities Near Chennai CMBT Bus Terminal

Opposite the Entry Gate of Mofussil Buses, at the backside of Koyembedu Police Station with entry from the Koyembedu Market road, is the Chennai Private Bus Station, which operates private omnibuses (private bus services) to different cities of Tamilnadu and other neighboring states. You can book tickets for these buses through Redbus, India’s number one private bus booking service company. Redbus website is redbus.in. Few of the Bus operators have their offices in Jawaharlal Nehru Salai. Kallada Travel has an office near the Koyembedu roundabout.

Hotels in Chennai CMBT and Other Parts of the City

Hotels in Koyambedu area Chennai

Opposite the City Buses entry gate on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai is Hotel Jaya Pushpam, a 4-star hotel. Next to this hotel is another hotel, Hotel Aryaas.

Hotel Royal Plaza and Hotel Chennai Deluxe are two hotels near the Private Omni Bus stand, which falls in the deluxe category of hotels.

Many hotels on the Jawaharlal Nehru road, from MMDA Signal to Vadaplani, are located approximately two kilometers from the CMBT Bus Terminus. Hotel Vijay Park, Radha Regent, Hotel Amritha Inn, and Hotel Bhimaas are a few of those nearby hotels. The League Club is a club at MMDA Signal, which has food and accommodation facilities for club members and outsiders.

There are many medium and low-budget hotels also near C.M.B.T.

Star hotels in Chennai near Koyambedu

If you need star-rated hotels, they are scattered across the city. Hotel Green Park Chennai is the nearest 5-star hotel, three kilometers from CMBT. Ginger Hotel Chennai is a budget hotel at Vadapalani near Koyembedu owned by the Taj Group.

Other Star Hotels in Chennai

Taj Hotels, an international group of hotels, has the following hotels in Chennai city apart from Ginger Hotel mentioned in the last paragraph. Taj Coromandal (MG. Road or Uttamar Gandi Salai at Nungambakkam), Vivanta by Taj – Connemara, Chennai, a heritage hotel next to Spencer Plaza on Ehiraj Salai off Mount Road, Taj Club House Chennai off Mount road opposite Spencer Plaza are the three hotels from Taj Group of hotels.

ITC opened ITC Grand Chola at Guindy next to Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in 2012.

Some of the other top-dated star hotels are listed below.

• The Park (Near Gemini flyover)
• Le Royal Meridien at Guindy Kathiparai flyover Junction
• Hyatt Regency at Teynampet on Mount Road near the old SUN TV office
• Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels on Sir Thagaraya Road at T. Nagar
• Hilton Chennai next to Olympia Technology Park near Guindy Kathipara flyover
• Radisson Blue Hotel at Chennai Egmore
• Lemon Tree Guindy
• Fortune Select Grand on the city’s outskirts at Singaperumal Koil near Maraimalai Nagar.
• Turyaa is a 5-star hotel on the Rajiv Gandhi Salai (IT corridor of Chennai) at Kottivakkam.

Note: Welcomhotel Chennai, earlier known as My Fortune and Chola Sheraton, near Music Academy, seems to have been closed. Crowne Plaza alias Chennai Adyar Park is closing down on December 20th, 2023 and a new luxury apartment is planned at that site.

Restaurants Near to Chennai CMBT Mofussil Bus Terminus

There are plenty of options for those who require food. A food court opposite CMBT on Jawaharlal Nehru Road (also known as Inner Ring Road) is next to Arihant Majestic Towers, a 17-story residential complex. KFC operates a retail outlet at this next building. Sangeetha, a chain of vegetarian restaurant, also operate here in this complex. A Tamil Karaoke bar and restaurant is there, opposite the entry gate of CMBT.

Temples near CMBT

Vadapalani Murugan Temple – Photo by George T. George

Vadapalani Murugan Temple is a very famous and ancient temple near CMBT, at around two kilometers from CMBT.

Malls with Multiplex (Multiple Cinema Theaters) at Chennai

I have listed the multiplex complexes with cinema theaters in Chennai below. This list is in reverse chronological order of the mall opening year.

VR Chennai is a new mall that opened in August 2018 at Anna Nagar and is close to the Koyembedu flyover. There is a nine-screen cinema theater at this mall near Koyembedu.

Vijaya Forum Mall is the nearest mall at Vadapalni, around three kilometers from CMBT. PVR Cinemas operates multiple cinema screens inside the Forum Mall.

Phoenix Marketcity at Velachery is one of the largest malls in Chennai with a Cinema theater.

Ampa Skywalk is another mall around three and a half kilometers from CMBT, with multiple screens from PVR Cinemas.

Chandra Metro Mall at Virugambakkam is another mall around three kilometers from CMBT, with INOX Movies operating multiple screens.

Express Avenue at Royapettah is Chennai’s second mall with a theater complex. It is at the Royapettah Clock Tower junction (Royapettah manigundu in the local language, Tamil).

Chennai Citi Centre at Mylapore is the oldest mall with a multiplex cinema theater that opened in 2006. It was operated by Satyam Cinemas management, who now operates many mall theaters.

Weekend Getaways in and Around Chennai

Many weekend getaways in and around Chennai are connected by buses from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, CMBT. Some of them are listed below.

• Kishkinta Theme park
• VGP Universal Kingdom
• Queens Land
• Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
• Chennai Marina Beach
• Eliots Beach at Besant Nagar
• MGM Dizzee world Theme park
• Muttukadu lake with Boathouse
• Kovalam beach near Muthukad Lake (A beach with the same name is there in Thiruvananthapuram too)
• Dashin Chitra – Art and Heritage Gallery
• Chokhi Dhani – Rajasthan In Chennai

How Do I Go to Chennai CMBT Mofussil Bus Terminal?

CMBT Mofussil Bus Terminus is near Arumbakkom, Vadapalani, and Annanagar. It is close to the Koyembedu flyover, the wholesale market, and the Private bus stand.

Chennai Central Railway Station and Chennai Egmore Railway Station are the two nearest major railway stations to C.M.B.T.