Huge spike in demand for intercity travel during Dussehra

Bengaluru: redBus, the world’s largest online bus ticketing platform, is witnessing strong demand for intercity bus travel across the country ahead of the much-awaited festive season, beginning with Dussehra. Around 40 lac + passengers are expected to travel in the week of Oct 11 – Oct 17, signifying increased demand & optimism around travel heading into the festive season.

The commencement of the festive season in India in October also ushers in the travel season, with people undertaking travel to attend the festivities at their home towns & visit their relatives & friends. The festivals of Durga Ashtami, Dussehra, Eid and Diwali are expected to witness the homecoming of millions of people.

According to data from redBus, there has been a marked increase in the number of bookings during the week of the Dussehra festival, with the top routes witnessing the highest number of bookings being :

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Routes (To and Fro)

In all, about 50,000 buses including 30,000 RTC buses across the country will ply across 1 lakh+ routes, covering a distance of 61 crore kilometres during the upcoming festival.

Air-conditioned buses are making a strong come-back with demand for seater and sleeper A/C buses increasing from 53% last year to 72% this year, largely due to allayed fears of the pandemic.

For Diwali this year, the shortest intercity bus route booked in the country is between Guwahati and Machkhowa in Assam, covering a distance of 4.9 kilometres in 20 minutes and the longest is between Bangalore and Thalodi ( Rajasthan ), covering a distance of 2086 kilometres in 37 hours.

Speaking on the positive travel trends during this season, Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus, said, “We are witnessing a strong recovery in travel sentiment as people are queuing up to travel to their hometowns for Dussehra. This is a welcome sign and a strong impetus for the growth and sustenance of the intercity bus industry. As people look to resume travelling without any restrictions, we, along with our partner bus operators, are committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for millions of travellers. We are fairly optimistic about the industry’s path to a full recovery in the near term as bus travel gathers steam with each passing day.”