Traveler sentiment study finds safety most important to passengers in South while comfort more important to those in North and West
NueGo, an intercity electric mobility coach brand of GreenCell Mobility, recently completely its first interview-based study with over 2800 respondents across 10 cities in India. Aimed at understanding the requirements of the Indian intercity bus travellers, it has revealed 79% of passengers feel a lack of standardization in many aspects of bus travel. These include – hygiene, punctuality, provision of food and beverages.
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Variation in Priorities of Intercity Bus Travellers
The study is based on responses from many traveller segments – Premium AC, Affordable A and, Non-AC. Even a qualitative research survey was conducted among inter-city bus travel stakeholders like private bus operators, offline ticketing agents and online aggregators. A majority of the inter-city bus travellers males with an average age of 35 years. Also, leisure was found to be the top reason for the travel (58%). A preference is given to travelling with friends and family. However, leisurely travel is higher in North (70%) as compared to West (56%) and South (55%).In the post pandemic era, cleanliness and hygiene are most important to travellers.
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Safety comes at third. Among women, however, safety is the top consideration, followed by cleanliness. Safety is of paramount importance in South India but comfort is relatively more important in North and West. Also, North Indian travellers are more price sensitive. There are more than 3.6 lakh intercity buses in India. Of these, only about 50,000 have an AC. Interestingly, the study shows majority (77%) travellers showed high willingness to travel in electric premium buses. It can be inferred from this study that operational service aspects such as punctuality, cleanliness, mid- point halts, food, and beverages are the most important parameters when it comes to travellers choosing a bus operator for intercity travel.
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Speaking on the survey, Anand Parameswaran, Executive Director, Insights Division, Kantar said, “The study covered different phases of travel. There is a clear demand for a seamless, consistent, and elevated consumer experience in all facets of travel. Consumers are also becoming socially conscious and willing to opt for electric buses for a sustainable future”
NueGo plans to lead in the mass transport sector by providing bus users with world-class travel experience. Speaking on the offering, Ashok Agarwal, MD & CEO, GreenCell Mobility said, “NueGo services will soon be rolled out across 75 Indian cities, starting on the Indore- Bhopal route in early June. A customer-centric brand, NueGo buses are a climate-friendly alternative focused on delivering the brilliant basics to the Indian travelers which are at par with Global standards.” All NueGo buses will feature technological solutions to offer end to end convenience through customer lounges, app bookings, live tracking, and seamless customer experience.
