India Sees 223.85 Mil Intercity Journeys In FY25 With 40,000 Buses Running Daily Across The Country

Move over air travel and train rides because India loves to travel by bus! According to redBus’s India Bus Track report for FY25 (April 1 – March 31), 223.85 million journeys were clocked in India’s intercity bus travel ecosystem. On average, 6.1 lakh rides were reported in a day, which is more than the populations of cities like Jamshedpur, Amravati, and Bikaner! Scroll on to know more about this.

India Prefers Bus Travel In FY25

redBus’s India Bus Track report is indicative of all India bus data of the country and showcases volume and scale across the industry. The report shows that almost equivalent to the entire population of Brazil, India saw more than 223.85 million people travelling on intercity buses in FY25.

This growth is also reflected in the year-on-year increase in Gross Ticketing Value. As per the report, this value rose to ₹59.62 billion in Q4 FY25, from ₹49.31 billion in Q4 FY24. Whether it was a religious trip or tech city commutes, bus travel remained one of India’s most favoured mobility formats.

Understanding this dependency on bus travel, India saw the launch of more than 72,000 new intercity bus routes in FY25. The longest of these being Ernakulam to Dharamshala–3,062 km. Around 6,400 new buses were added, creating 2.65 lakh more daily seats to make up for the rising demand.

Buses are inherently more sustainable than individual modes of transport, offering a significantly lower carbon footprint per passenger kilometre. This is because a single full-capacity bus can carry the same number of passengers as up to 30 personal vehicles, easing both congestion and emissions. Buses are also a much more affordable travel option, with the average seat in a bus in India costing around ₹969.

Also Read: Ujjain Police Bust 9 Fake Mahakal Booking Sites After Devotees Report Online Fraud

Tier 2 & 3 Cities Contribute To The Boom

Currently, 40,000 buses run daily and power India’s vast intercity road network. Giving an interesting insight into bus travel trends in India, redBus’s report revealed that 67% of riders prefer AC buses. This highlights how passengers prefer comfort over cost. Furthermore, 51% of riders pick sleeper buses, while 16% pick seater buses while travelling on long routes.

Data from the report also shows that India’s intercity bus travel boom is mostly contributed by travellers from tier 2 and 3 cities–about 68%. They are embracing online bus ticketing platforms like never before. Cities like Coimbatore, Indore, and Chandigarh emerged as high-volume nodes on the redBus network. The report suggests that this trend reflects a shift in both access and behaviour of travellers. In fact, only 36% of passengers travel from the 6 metros–Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata–in intercity buses.

Also Read: Bengaluru: BMTC To Launch Non-AC Express Bus Services On Long Routes; Will Have Fewer Stops

Do you prefer to travel by bus or any other mode of transportation while travelling? Let us know in the comments.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/Juan José Napurí Guevara (representative image)