Uber App Adds Intercity Bus Booking with AbhiBus’s 6 Lakh+ Routes

From Left to Right: Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus; Lenin Koduru, CEO, AbhiBus; Praveen Neppalli Naga, Chief Technology Officer, Uber; Manikandan Thangarathnam, Senior Director (Mobility & Platforms), Uber India

AbhiBus (ixigo’s bus business), one of India’s leading online bus ticketing platforms, has partnered with Uber to power intercity bus ticket bookings within the Uber app.

Uber users across India can now book intercity bus tickets directly within the app, leveraging AbhiBus’s robust inventory and booking technology. Through this partnership, users gain access to AbhiBus’s extensive network of over 6 lakh routes operated by over 6,200 bus operators nationwide.

To book, users can navigate to the Home or Services section on the Uber app and select the “Intercity” option. After entering their origin, destination and travel date, they can browse available bus services, choose preferred seats and complete their booking smoothly within the app using integrated payment options.

Powered by AbhiBus’s end-to-end booking technology and deep operator integrations, Uber users can discover and compare bus options, check real-time seat availability and select preferred seats directly within the app. They can also filter by bus types such as AC, Sleeper, Seater, Volvo and Scania, view 360° bus photos on select routes, track live bus status, opt for Abhi Assured with defined compensation benefits in case of service disruptions, and access 24×7 customer support. The partnership expands Uber’s mobility ecosystem beyond intra-city rides by integrating bus travel into a single app, enabling users to plan both short-distance and intercity journeys seamlessly.

Speaking on this, Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus, said, "This partnership with Uber represents a significant milestone for intercity travel in India. By integrating AbhiBus's deep operator network and booking technology into the Uber app, we are bringing over 6 lakh routes directly to millions of users - making bus travel discovery as seamless as booking a cab. With Uber's reach and AbhiBus's deep expertise in powering seamless bus travel experiences, we are setting a new benchmark for how India books its intercity journeys."

Praveen Neppalli Naga, Chief Technology Officer, Uber, added, “We are excited to partner with AbhiBus and bring intercity bus travel into the Uber app. At Uber, our mission is to make movement seamless for everyone and integrating AbhiBus's extensive bus network directly into our platform is a natural extension of that vision. AbhiBus brings unmatched depth in bus inventory and operator integrations, and together we are unlocking a new dimension of mobility for millions of Indians.”

With this partnership, AbhiBus further strengthens its footprint in powering intercity bus travel across diverse platforms, making seamless and reliable bus booking more accessible to millions of travellers.

About AbhiBus

AbhiBus is a leading online bus-ticketing platform that aggregates ticket inventory from over 6,200 bus operators - including major State Road Transport Corporations (SRTCs), covering more than 6.5 lakh (650,000+) routes across India. The AbhiBus website and apps allow users to check amenities provided by bus operators, compare booking fares, check bus timings in the searched route, live tracking of the bus before arrival, cancellation protection options and other facilities. It is the official ticketing partner for several state road transport corporation bus tickets and IRCTC bus bookings.

AbhiBus is owned and operated by ixigo (Le Travenues Technology Limited), India’s leading OTA for the Next Billion Users. With over 54 crore Annual Active Users in FY25, ixigo offers AI-powered train, flight, bus, and hotel bookings through its platforms - ixigo, ConfirmTkt, and AbhiBus.

zingbus Launches India’s 1st Ever ‘Pay at Bus’ Facility For Its Customers

India’s leading surface mobility brand, zingbus launches first-of-its-kind ‘Pay at Bus’ facility for its customers. The new service facilitates zingbus customers to book their travel ticket(s) online through app or web, and pay the amount of their ticket while boarding the bus.

Image - zingbus.com

zingbus has deployed the ‘Pay at Bus’ facility on every route and services starting with Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab belt. The new service facility enables those customers who are not comfortable with pre-payments or digital payments, to book and travel with zingbus ease free.

Speaking on the new launch, Prashant Kumar, CEO & Co-Founder, zingbus, highlighted: “Nearly 83% of Indian consumers are still inclined towards paying cash for any service or product. While the future is ‘Digital India’ with the amalgamation of technology and advanced services, this major chunk of consumers still hesitate to trust & rely on a brand in terms of digital monetary payments. From 3Mn+ zingbus customer base, 72% of consumers hail from tier ⅔ cities & towns, and with the launch of ‘Pay at Bus’ we are aligned to grow the tech cohort of the nation, including those stranded groups of offline users, giving them an opportunity to first-hand experience and understand the brand features and benefits, and then pay for the experience.”

The dynamics of the ‘Pay at Bus’ facility is equivalent to that of the “Cash on Delivery” facility prompted by the e-commerce industry. However, with the integration of ‘Pay at Bus’, zingbus focuses on offering the generation x of India, a more flexible payment mode for their travel needs. The new launch aims to bridge the gap between the brand & its customers, building a secured bond of trust between the two. Moreover, since the integration of this feature, zingbus has witnessed more than 15% increase in the App bookings.

zingbus is confident to raise a revolution in the Indian travel industry with progressive technology based features and ‘Pay at Bus’ is merely the beginning of a changed ecosystem of the Indian intercity travel market. zingbus is gradually building the most preferred mobility brand of India, dominating the Indian intercity industry.

About zingbus:

Founded in 2019, zingbus is the largest tech-based intercity bus service provider in India with an established network of 350+ buses catering to over 500 Cities. Having served more than 3 Million customers, zingbus serves 18 states spread across Northern, Western & Southern regions of India. Garnering a strong foothold in the intercity travel domain, the company believes that the right to affordable & dignified travel is fundamental to human existence & development. zingbus is the future of the Indian intercity travel dedicated to serve, ensuring a safe, reliable and affordable travel option for mankind.

Tech Enabled Bus Aggregator Arcab Raises Undisclosed Seed Round From We Founder Circle and Others

We Founder Circle a founder backing founder based early-stage start-up investor participated in the Seed round raised by arcab, a technology-enabled bus aggregator. The Dubai-based start-up Arcab allows fleet owners to make more money by increasing the utilization of their vehicles. The company works with 40+ Operators isncluding Europcar, Avis and Dubai Taxi corporation with over 3k+ buses in their supply pool. The undisclosed round witnessed participation from other esteemed investors including –UpSparks VC, Charles & Zaim Azrak & other strategic angel investors.

The brand plans at utilising the funds to build, maintain and scale the technology infrastructure that facilitates the multi-sided marketplace. The start-up will also focus on activities related to scaling operations, building the brand and creating a sales and marketing engine to fuel the expansion in the region.
 
“arcab has come up with a unique business model, executing a fine technology infrastructure. They have identified some really good markets for expansion that hold great potential. Their business model will not just offer services to organisations and users, but also empower owners with fleets to get the ball rolling again. WFC is glad to be supporting the start-up and can see its growth trajectory already,” said Mr. Neeraj Tyagi, Co-founder & CEO, We Found Circle.

We are humbled by all the support we have received from our investors and partners. The next 18 months are going to be very exciting and crucial for us to move quickly, ramp up our operations and scale our footprint in the region --- said Mr. Bilal Shabandri ,Co-founder & CEO, arcab.

The brand’s USP lies in its tech enablement which allows a fleet operator to reduce downtime, avoid manual control, optimise fleet, and increase profits.

About WFC

Established in 2020 in Mumbai, We Founder Circle is a global community of successful founders & strategic angels that have come together to push the start-up industry and steer it towards aggressive growth. It invests USD 50K- USD 150 K amount in early-stage start-ups that are fueled with ambition, sustainability, and strategic approach. WFC provides seed funding, business development, and global networking opportunities to start-ups as it believes early-stage startups need a lot beyond just financial support to become scalable and stable.

About arcab

arcab is a technology-enabled bus aggregator that empowers fleet owners to make more money by increasing the utilization of their vehicles. They are tackling the 250B$ MENA market for moving people and things starting with the UAE. The company works with 40+ Operators including Europcar, Avis and Dubai Taxi corporation with over 3k+ buses in their supply pool.

redbus Announces the Rollout of India’s First Vaccinated Bus Service

Vaccinated travellers can choose to travel in buses where co-passengers and bus crew are vaccinated

Requires travelers to have received at least one dose of Covid vaccine in order to be able to travel through this service

National, July 23, 2021: In a first for the bus transport sector, redBus, India’s largest online bus ticketing platform, announces the launch of vaccinated bus services across 600+ major routes in the country. This new arrangement guarantees that passengers of an intercity bus get to travel with vaccinated co-passengers and crew. Booking a ticket on this service requires the travellers to have received at least the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine and they must submit proof of the same at the time of boarding.

Vaccinated Bus is being introduced in collaboration with private partner bus operators that have a customer rating of more than four stars out of five on the platform. Presently vaccinated bus services have begun operating across 600+ routes on redBus, with the crew and passengers having had at least the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

redBus already implements various safety measures under its ‘Safety+’ program, which is a unique certification given to partner bus operators who meet the highest standards of safety and sanitization. These include deep cleaning of buses after each trip, compulsory masking, hand sanitization and thermal screening of both passengers and the crew.

 

In order to ensure proper execution of this new system, boarding for passengers who book their tickets on vaccinated buses will only be allowed once they produce their ID proof and vaccination certificate at the time of boarding. The travellers will also be informed of these requirements before the journey through e-mail and SMS. The partner bus operator staff will physically verify the vaccination certificates/ ID proofs for all adult passengers before boarding, with the exception of passengers aged below 18. Passengers who fail to provide the necessary proof will be denied boarding.

Speaking on the service, Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus, stated --

According to a survey that we recently undertook with our customers, 89% of the respondents said that they prefer to travel in a bus which had all the bus staff and co-passengers vaccinated with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. It is therefore evident that a vaccinated bus rids passengers of their anxiety to a large extent and restores their confidence to undertake travel, which they are all so eagerly looking forward to. It is also extremely encouraging to witness our partner bus operators stepping up efforts to support us in this undertaking. At the moment, these services are spread across 600+ routes in the country and we will look at further scaling this initiative based on the response to it.

Intercity Bus Startup Zingbus to Double its Headcount to Aid to Its Exponential Growth

New Delhi, 24th June 2021: zingbus, India's largest intercity bus startup, has announced hiring talents to strengthen its team further. The platform is hiring across functions and is looking for passionate people to join the company for senior and mid-senior positions in different roles.

The firm has recently recruited candidates across the technology, product and data team. The team members who joined zingbus have prior experience working with Shell, Rakuten, ICICI, Amazon, MakeMyTrip, and other startups. A few ex-founders have also joined the team at Entrepreneur-in-Residence roles.

Speaking on the expansion of the team, Prashant Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, zingbus, said, "We are hiring across functions and are looking for passionate people to join our team for various roles and positions. Ours is a young and dynamic team which is one of our strengths. Not only have we adopted more flexible working hours for our employees, but this has also allowed us to hire from across the globe."

With an existing team of more than 50 people, the startup plans to increase the strength by 100% by the end of this year. In addition, during the pandemic, zingbus has taken various steps to boost employee morale like flexible working hours, complimentary leave policy, mental wellness coaching, Covid insurance for dependents, and vaccination for employees.

About zingbus:

Founded by Prashant Kumar, Mratunjay, and Ravi Kumar Verma in 2019, zingbus aims to Change the Way India Travels. The company is already the highest-rated branded bus line in the country across digital platforms and social media. zingbus aggregates fleets of buses to deliver end-to-end standardized intercity travel experience at affordable prices. The emerging brand in the intercity bus services believes that the Right to affordable and dignified travel is fundamental to human existence and development and aspires to provide access to safe, reliable, and affordable travel to everyone.

website: https://www.zingbus.com/