In an industry often defined by unpredictability, AbhiBus is working to bring a sense of order through a thoughtful blend of intelligence, transparency and empathy.
AbhiBus, a leading OTA (online travel platform) and part of the ixigo Group, is piloting a roadside assistance programme that could redefine bus travel reliability. Under this initiative, if a bus breaks down in a remote location, the company dispatches a rescue vehicle—often within 30 minutes—to pick up stranded passengers. Offered free of cost, the service is currently being tested and is expected to be rolled out across India by the end of the year, said, Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus, has said.
In a conversation with this publication, he highlighted that AbhiBus today commands close to 20% market share, with tens of thousands of tickets sold every day. The platform already enjoys a strong user rating of 4.8 stars, with a clear aim to push it further to 4.9. But what stands out is its competitive lens. Rather than benchmarking itself against other OTAs, the company sees its real competition in more predictable modes like air travel. The ambition, he said, is to make bus travel just as reliable—and initiatives like the roadside assistance programme are expected to play a key role in setting that benchmark.
For decades, bus travel in India has been a mix of convenience and chaos. Millions depend on it every day, yet the experience often comes wrapped in uncertainty—unpredictable boarding points, last-minute delays, unresponsive staff, and the nagging worry of what might go wrong mid-journey. In a landscape filled with almost 7,000 small and large operators—many of them traditional, family-run outfits—the quality-of-service swings wildly from one bus to the other.
Into this complex, uneven world the company stepped in with an ambitious promise “to bring predictability, transparency and safety to a segment where passengers had traditionally learned not to expect too much. Instead of accepting low expectations, we decided to raise them,” he said.
The company saw an industry full of gaps—where technology adoption was inconsistent, reliability was unpredictable, and passengers often felt they had no control over their own experience. It recognised an opportunity not just to sell tickets, but to rebuild trust. And it chose Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the backbone of that transformation.
When AbhiBus launched its “Assured” programme in 2021, it changed the rules of the bus booking business overnight. The promise was that “if your bus is delayed beyond a limit, if the bus quality is below standard, if the staff behave poorly, or if the operator doesn’t show up—your travel is free. And in the worst-case scenario of a no-show, customers get a 150% refund,” he mentioned.
What made this bold guarantee possible was technology. AbhiBus uses GPS data to track buses in real time and relies on AI to analyse interior photos submitted by operators. The moment an issue is detected, customers get an instant, no-questions-asked refund. To be part of the Assured programme, operators must install GPS devices and share quality checks regularly. Many who joined saw their business grow more than tenfold—a clear sign that predictability has value. And to support operators, the company even co-funded part of the penalties, he indicated.
But the company didn’t stop at reliability. It wanted transparency—an experience where passengers could see and judge for themselves before they boarded. AbhiBus built a 360-degree “metaverse-style” walk-through experience, allowing users to virtually step inside a bus before booking. Being able to check seat layout, legroom, interiors and emergency exits led to a sharp rise in rebooking and repeat customers.
Behind the scenes, AI is working even harder. “AbhiBus can predict a bus’s number plate, model, Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate and insurance status, and even its accident history with 99.9% accuracy up to 10 days before departure. This level of visibility is something even airlines don’t always offer. After incidents like the Kurnool fire, we strengthened ‘Bus Insights’ programme, highlighting safety features such as window hammers and emergency exits—information most passengers rarely get to see elsewhere,” Mr. Sharma explained.
Another area where AbhiBus has redefined expectations is refunds. While most OTAs take hours—or sometimes days—especially for credit card reversals, “AbhiBus issues 99.99% of refunds within a minute. It achieves this by releasing the money from its own side instantly, even though banks settle credit card payments only after a few days. This single feature significantly reduces customer anxiety and builds trust,” he pointed out.
Looking ahead, AbhiBus is preparing to tackle one of the industry’s biggest and most unspoken problems—unsafe driver behaviour. Through a three-camera setup facing the road, the driver and the aisle, the system will use AI to detect risky actions like smoking, scrolling through phone reels or drowsy driving. Few OTAs do not touch this area because it brings conflict with operators; however, AbhiBus believes safety must come first.
In parallel, the company has expanded into train tickets and hotel bookings, evolving into a full-stack OTA. But bus travel remains its core mission—a mission centered on fixing the everyday frustrations of ordinary passengers.
In an industry long dominated by uncertainty, AbhiBus is trying to bring order using intelligence, transparency and empathy. By reimagining what bus travel can be, it is not only raising passenger expectations—it is also pushing the entire ecosystem to move forward.