Via.com expects 30% rise in bus bookings

Now you don’t have to run to any state-run bus counters at the last minute to get your preferred seats. You can simply book them online at Via.com.  Via.com, Asia’s travel network of flights, hotels, buses and holidays has announced real-time online booking for a range of State Road Transport Corporation bus services.

The company has partnered with state-operated corporation buses to offer service on the company’s website, mobile app and its agents’ outlets. Currently, it has tied up with seven state corporations, including Gujarat, J&K, Odisha, Patiala and East Punjab, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Kadamba-Goa.

With this move, VIA is expecting an increase of 30 per cent in its overall bus bookings by the next quarter. Currently, VIA sells bus tickets worth of Rs 10 crore every month. Apart from the state-run buses, Via.com offers bookings across categories such as Volvo, air-conditioned, non-air-conditioned, deluxe, semi deluxe, sleeper and semi sleeper buses.

VIA will offer competitive prices on bus tickets through over 5000 bus operators and more than 75000 routes across India, the company said. The portal enables customers to search, compare and book bus-tickets with complete transparency.

To increase its presence in the land transport sector, the company is also looking at tying up with other state-run bus operators, including Himachal Pradesh, Rajashtan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharastra in the near future.

Swaminathan Vedaranyam, Chief Executive Officer, VIA said, “We are seeking to strengthen our portfolio of offerings and ensure that we remain the one-stop shop for travel solutions. With this integration, we aim to open this channel for a section of travellers who are loyal to state-run buses to make life hassle-free and easier for them.”

The ticket prices for most routes range from Rs 650-1500. From April-July 2015 to April-July 2016, the growth in terms of sale bookings from the bus segment has grown 3X on Via.com, the CEO added.