Bus bookings across Maharashtra and Goa are projected to grow by 42% during the Holi travel window this year, according to data from online ticketing platform redBus. The company compared projected bookings between February 28 and March 8, 2026 with the same period in 2025 — March 8 to 16 — to arrive at the figure.

The data points to a rise in homebound travel and short leisure trips around the festival, which falls on March 14 this year. Holi, one of India's most widely observed festivals, typically drives a spike in intercity movement as people travel to their hometowns or gather with family and friends.

Among the routes seeing the highest traffic are Nagpur–Pune, Pune–Nagpur, Pune–Mumbai, Pune–Goa, Pune–Hyderabad, and Mumbai–Hyderabad. On the boarding point side, Sangamwadi, Wakad, Swargate, Ashirwad Theatre, and Nigdi — all in Pune — along with Borivali East in Mumbai, recorded the most activity.

Passenger preferences lean toward comfort-oriented options. AC buses account for 85% of bookings, while 89% of travellers have chosen sleeper services, a format suited to overnight travel on longer corridors.

In terms of traveller demographics, male passengers make up 68% of bookings against 32% female. Mumbai, a Tier 1 city, is the departure point for 48% of travellers, while Tier 2 cities account for 20% and Tier 3 towns and villages for 32%.

Bus travel remains one of the primary modes of intercity transport in India, particularly for mid-distance routes where rail connectivity is limited or train tickets sell out during peak periods. Platforms like redBus, which aggregates inventory from multiple bus operators, have contributed to a shift toward advance booking behaviour, especially around major festivals.