Women now represent 33% of intercity bus travelers, rising from 23% in 2019, based on platform data from 2019 to 2025.
The trend of solo travel is also on the rise among women, especially younger ones. Gen Z women aged 14-29 constitute 60% of all women bus travelers and account for 68% of solo trips taken by women.
The surge in women’s bus travel is observed across various regions. South India leads with the highest participation, where women travelers increased from 24% in 2019 to 34% in 2025. Other regions have also seen improvements, with the West rising from 23% to 31%, the East from 21% to 30%, and the North from 20% to 28%.
Also Read: 91% of global travellers use AI travel planners, but lack of trust persists: Survey
An index measuring women’s travel ease across states places Assam, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Telangana among the top five. This ranking considers several factors, including the national share of women travelers, the percentage of solo women travelers, and the number of long-distance journeys over 500 kilometers taken by women.
Women from smaller towns make up a significant portion of these journeys, with 68% of women bus travelers originating from tier-2 and tier-3 towns.
Also Read: Domestic, global airfares climb amid surging fuel prices
Booking patterns also vary by gender. Approximately 62% of women reserve bus tickets at least a day in advance, compared to 48% of men who do the same.
Travel decisions among women travelers are influenced by peer feedback and safety considerations. About 47% prefer buses that are highly rated by female passengers, while 33% check how many other women have already booked seats on the same bus. During travel, staff behavior (50%) is seen as the most significant factor, followed by the ability to share live tracking with trusted contacts (48%).
Also Read: How women are balancing savings, digital payments and lifestyle spending
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
