Hyderabad, June 17, 2020.

In a significant comeback, Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the no.1 state for bus operations in the country during unlock 1.0 announced by the Government of India. According to the data compiled by Abhibus.com, a leading online bus ticketing aggregator in India, the state-owned APSRTC has achieved 70% booking volume (ticket sales) compared to Pre-Covid period, making it the true leader in providing bus services to its citizens. Andhra Pradesh is one of the first states to allow intra-state bus operations immediately after the lock-down relaxations.

As per Abhibus data, Andhra Pradesh has seen the highest number of buses plying on roads in India. During unlock 1.0, APSRTC has been operating a whopping 6,090 bus services per day and connecting 137 cities and towns. The southern state has also seen the highest number of private bus services – 1,445 in the state where 48 private operators are offering their intra-state commute as listed on Abhibus. While Vijayawada has the highest number of bus services at 596, Visakhapatnam has 383 followed by Nellore at 226 bus services offered by APSRTC.

Similarly, Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in terms of population in the country, has also seen a good traction of bus travel to and fro the state capital – Lucknow – and Delhi. The state has seen a highest number of buses on the road supporting the common man to reaching out to their destinations in the North India.

UPSRTC has been operating 1,218 bus services carrying about 10,000  passengers every day connecting 45 cities including Delhi. Talking about UPSRTC, Abhibus mentioned,  while bus services from Lucknow are the highest at 267 daily, there are 94 bus services from Delhi NCR to UP, followed by Allahabad at 93 and Agra, the city of Taj Mahal, with 81 daily bus services. In addition to it, the private bus operators in the state also have commenced their operations and have seen 183 bus services up and running every day connecting over 50 cities and carrying about 1,000 passengers daily.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rohit Sharma, Chief Operating Officer, Abhibus said, “Andhra Pradesh has allowed intra-state bus services much ahead of other states in the country and it has seen a very good booking volumes coming in. Despite the seat blocking norm in place, Andhra Pradesh has achieved 70% ticket sales compared to pre – covid time and became the role model for others by showing them a way for reviving the ailing bus travel industry in the country. With this kind of a traction, it seems the cautious yet necessary confidence to travel is widely seen now among commuters”.

Mr Rohit Sharma further said that, “A few other RTCs like UPSRTC which has resumed operations also seen an encouraging number of daily services. Especially, it is connecting Delhi apart from operating within the state, thereby enabling more passengers to commute between the national capital and the state capital – Lucknow”.

Abhibus which is a pan India player in selling bus tickets online has compiled the data of 25 states to understand the metrics and needs of the passengers during post lock down environment and found interesting facts.

Key Findings by Abhibus.com:

Andhra Pradesh:

• APSRTC is operating 6090 daily services connecting about 137 cities and towns within the state. Vijayawada has the highest bus services at 596 followed by Visakhapatnam at 383 and Nellore at 226 services.
• APSTRC has been receiving very good booking volumes at 70% rate compared to the usual daily bookings (pre-covid), despite the seat blocking obligation in force.
• Abhibus has enabled 1,445 daily services by 43 private bus operators in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh:

• UPSRTC has been operating 1,218 bus services by connecting 45 cities in UP including Lucknow, Noida, and Delhi.
• Lucknow has 267 bus services, Delhi 94, Gorakhpur 94, Bareilly 94, Allahabad 93, and Agra 81.
• In addition to it, 30 Private Bus Operators have resumed their services by offering 183 services daily in UP

Telangana:

• TRSRTC is able to operate 1,110 services every day by connecting 52 cities and towns within Telangana including Hyderabad.
• Hyderabad has the highest number of bus services at 464 followed by Karimnagar at 122 and Warangal at 70 services per day.
• Additionally, there are about 19 private bus operators who offer 93 daily services in the state.

Karnataka:

• Since Karnataka is yet to restart its RTC services, there are 72 private bus operators who are running a total of 258 buses in Karnataka including Bengaluru.