redBus, the world’s largest online bus ticketing platform, presents the fourth edition of its India BusTrack Report. This data-driven report delves into the Indian intercity bus industry, highlighting key parameters that reflect the industry’s overall health and trends from July to September 2024. In this edition, particular emphasis is placed on market trends and insights into bus types. The India BusTrack report data is calculated for private bus operators only, and it pertains to the full intercity bus market derived from the redBus database, not just sales on redBus platforms.
This data-based report from redBus offers a comprehensive interpretation of the intercity bus sector which caters to a significant share of the nation’s inland travel by public transport. The report is anticipated to generate a substantial impact by facilitating data-informed decision-making for bus operators, thereby improving operational efficiency and route optimization. It will also provide policymakers with crucial insights to tailor policies and infrastructure development to meet the evolving needs of the sector. Additionally, it aims to attract investors and foster innovation within the bus travel ecosystem. By equipping travelers with well-informed decisions, it promises to enhance the overall bus travel experience.
The report will be published every quarter and available for free on the redBus platform (LINK) for those interested in knowing and understanding the intercity bus transport sector in India. The insights garnered from July – September 2024 not only reflect the current pulse of the industry but also serve as a guiding beacon for the future. Link to the blog: https://blog.redbus.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/JAS-DATA-REPORT-2.pdf
Unveiling Key Trends in the third edition of India BusTrack (July – September 2024):
All trends pertain to all India bus data, unless specifically called out as redBus data
● Market Size and Activity: The gross ticketing value reached INR 40.08 billion in July – September 2024. During this period, there were 5000+ active private bus operators, and 44.78 million passengers travelled in this period.
● Network and reach: There are almost 5 lakh (4,94,970) unique bus routes in India, representing an increase of over 30,000 new bus routes compared to the last quarter. Buses now connect almost 10,000 (9,977) towns across the length and breadth of the country, with around 300 new connections, bringing the reach of the bus network on par with that of the railways.
● Passenger Choices: 67% of the passengers opted for AC buses indicating that people are opting for more comfortable travels. 51% of passengers booked sleeper buses, and 33% chose hybrid options.
● Bus type: redBus platform data indicates that bus operators are moving towards Hybrid buses to cater to both customer types of sleeper and seater seats. Sleeper seats (72%) had a significantly higher share of sales compared to Seater seats (28%), in the July to September 2024 period. Hybrid buses contribute to 30% of all buses and they have grown by almost 40% year on year. Across markets, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa show a higher share of sales of sleeper seats (86%-90%). A possible reason is that more passengers are undertaking inter-state journeys by bus. By contrast, passengers from West Bengal and the 7 North Eastern states are booking more seater seats (82%).
● The rush days: Sundays continued to have the highest number of travelers, while Tuesdays and Thursdays see the least travel instead of Wednesdays (lowest occupancy day last quarter).
● Occupancy rates: Tamil Nadu topped the charts with an 81% bus occupancy rate. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh recorded the lowest occupancy at 61%. The all-India bus occupancy rate stood at 74%.
● Demographic Trends: On redBus platforms, millennials dominated, with 38% aged 26-36 years and 30% aged 18-25 years – possibly because of the festive seasons. Last quarter young adults dominated the bus bookings in the last quarter. Interestingly, 33% of all passengers were female and 54% of all bookings were for solo travelers.
● Booking Patterns: Metros contributed 33% of bus bookings, while other areas accounted for 67%, continuing to demonstrate the growing importance of tier-II and tier-III towns. This trend, observed in the previous quarter also, highlights increased digital penetration into non-metro areas on the redBus platform.
“This edition of the India Bus Track report refers to the July-September period, which is usually a seasonally weaker quarter. This is borne out by the fact that the Average Seat Price has dropped to Rs. 895. Another interesting thing to note is that supply coverage is expanding, and the number of active private bus operators on redBus has exceeded 5,000 for the first time. Additionally, Tamil Nadu had a robust JAS quarter, with occupancy trending at 81% and its contribution to All India increasing to 15%. In this instance of the India Bus track report, we have taken an in-depth look at bus types. The data suggests that preference for travel on sleeper berths is increasing, and travellers are paying a premium of between 45-60% for sleeper travel over seater travel. Bus operators are responding to this by increasing the fleet of sleeper buses and hybrid buses that have a combination of sleeper berths and seats” said Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus.
This report is expected to have a significant impact by:
• Facilitating data-informed decision-making for bus operators, enhancing operational efficiency and route optimization.
• Offering crucial insights for policymakers to customize policies and infrastructure development to meet the dynamic demands of the sector.
• Drawing the attention of investors and nurturing innovation within the bus travel ecosystem.
• Equipping travelers with well-informed decisions and a smoother bus travel experience.
