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.

Google to Expand Mix Mode Commute Option to Cities Across India

Internet giant Google is looking to expand mixed mode commute option to cities across India that displays combination of available public transport for commuting to a particular destination.

"The public transport tab on Google Maps for Android now informs users about a journey that combines auto-rickshaw and public transport. It indicates how much time it will take, and which station they should take an auto-rickshaw to/from. The feature is available for Delhi and Bangalore and we're looking to bring it to other cities across India," Google Maps vice president Jen Jen Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

He was speaking on the occasion of Google Map completing 15 years.

Fitzpatrick listed 14 features that Google has incorporated in the maps of eight were first started in India and six were inspired from India and implemented in other foreign markets.

Information about public toilets inspired from Swachh Bharat Mission, digital address called "Plus codes" for location sharing including mixed mode commute are some of the features for which Google Map got inspiration from India.

"Google Maps now lists over 57,000 public toilets in 2,300+ cities across India. The initiative was launched in 2016 as a pilot in three cities -- New Delhi, Bhopal, and Indore -- in collaboration with the Swachh Bharat Mission and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs," Fitzpatrick said.

India, Japan jointly Launch 'M2Smart' Project to Solve Traffic Congestion using AI, IoT and Neural Networks

A joint research project "Multi Modal Smart Transportation (M2Smart)", by Japan and India under a scheme of "Science Technology Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS), was launched at Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H), in order to develop low-carbon scenarios through research and demonstration, human resource development through mutual human resources exchanges.

M2Smart project is a Smart Cities project based on Sensing, Networking and Big Data Analysis of Multimodal Regional Transport System, was designed collaboratively by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Jointly undertaken by IIT-H, Nagoya Electric works Co. Ltd., Nihon University and Tokyo Institute of Technology, the M2Smart project aims to reduce the amount of energy consumed and to conduct research and development towards the realization of low-carbon smart cities, and to develop related adaptive strategic approaches in India.

The first field test bed for M2smart system has also been launched in IIT-H campus and a 30 Km stretch of NH-65. The field test bed system comprises of several key components of traffic management system such as real time traffic flow monitoring cameras, speed detection safety system, traffic signal lights and remote environment gas sensing.

[caption id="attachment_130869" align="aligncenter" width="1149"] Construction of low-carbon scenario through research and demonstration[/caption]

The Testbed will generate a practical ‘handbook’ on low carbon urban transportation for developing countries based on big data generated by vehicular traffic. Data is generated using cameras, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sensors, speed detection safety system and conflict warning system using traffic signal lights. IIT-H has Electric rickshaws running inside the campus and are used to understand the driving cycle of e-vehicles.

[caption id="attachment_130870" align="aligncenter" width="1127"] JST and JICA Joint R& D（SATREPS)[/caption]

The aim of the joint research project is to establish a reliable and common approach for grasping the traffic situation in cities by building a system that effectively utilizes mobile devices, traffic sensing, big-data analysis and network technology.

It is hoped that by utilising the field test bed system, research teams of Japan and India will continue to work together to create reliable approach for grasping the traffic situation in the cities in India, which would contribute to the formation of suitable urban transportation system and facilitation of a modal shift."

For the traffic flow analysis of M2Smart project, the project team will implement deep learning AI recognition architecture, driving behaviour sensing, environment gas monitoring, and so on.

Besides testing it at NH-65 in Hyderabad, M2Smart will also be tested in Ahmedabad by joint collaboration with Ahmedabad city where project team will install traffic monitoring camera at several junctions. The project team will be able to compare traffic condition of these two cities. The project team will also utilize project analysis to generate hand-book for low carbon urban transportation that would be beneficial for the consideration of suitable urban transportation system in India.

JICA has been extending integrated support to IIT-H through ODA (Official Development Assistance) loan of 23,035 million Japanese yen (over INR 1,300 crore) for IIT-H campus development. JICA's support is facilitating the development of International Guesthouse, Sports & Cultural Complex, Technology and Incubation Part, Convention Centre, Research Centre Complex, and Knowledge Centre, procurement of high-end laboratory equipment in IIT-H campus.

Source - The Hans India, Business Line

Gurugram, Varanasi, Nagpur in Race For Pod Taxi Pilot

India's transportation system is in dire need of change. Considering the growing population and the growing traffic situation in the country as a result of it, upping our tech game is the only way out of the transportation mess that the mankind has created for themselves. Pod cars are one of the ways that tech can help untangle this traffic mess.

According to a report in the Mint, Varanasi, Nagpur, and Gurugram are the three Indian cities that have been shortlisted to test pod cars. This is one out of the six proposals that NITI Aayog had proposed to improve India's transportation system. The other five tech-savvy modes of transportation are hyperloop, metrino, stadler buses, hybrid buses and freight rail road.

For the uninitiated, Pod cars are driverless, ball-shaped cars which run along a pre-determined course.

The Pod cars, which will be tested over a 1-km test stretch, will be built by NASA's Skytran and UK's Ultra Global PRT. New Zealand’s Metrino Personal Rapid Transit along with Ultra Global PRT and SkyTran were among the three firms that had bid for transport minister Nitin Gadkari’s pod taxi project in India last year. The companies have to showcase their tech to implement the pod cars projects by forming joint ventures with Indian firms.

However, now prototypes will be built on only two sites as one of the three contenders had backed out. Metrino decided to withdraw from the game last month and called off its joint venture with its Indian partner.

Speaking to The Mint, a senior government official revealed, “The expert panel formed to lay down safety standards for pod taxis in the country has shortlisted the two cities in addition to Gurugram for the companies to build a prototype for a 1km stretch to showcase their technology. Two of these three cities will finally showcase the prototypes from the respective firms."

The official also added that the panel was asked to shortlist three sites. Since the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), which is responsible for implementing the project, had already invited tenders for Gurugram, they choose Varanasi and Nagpur as the other two cities.

Some might consider that Varanasi and Nagpur may have been handpicked by the panel as they are represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari respectively in the Lok Sabha. But considering that Varanasi is a very congested city, overhead pod taxis can be one of the mobility solution that would actually work for the city.

NITI Aayog has asked the authorities to first run a 1-km pilot stretch before the project runs in full force as the technologies are largely still "unproven." This is one of the main reasons that the project has taken so long to go on the road.


[Image: Wired]