The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) reported a record 1,46,875 seat bookings through its online passenger reservation system on Bhai Beej, generating digital revenue of ₹3.55 crore in a single day. The corporation said the performance was the highest recorded among state transport corporations in India and extended its lead in digital bookings for the seventh consecutive year.
Mobile applications accounted for 99,402 of the seats booked, indicating the growing role of app-based ticketing during one of Gujarat’s busiest festive travel periods. The mobile channel alone generated ₹2.27 crore in revenue, according to the report.
The figures cover bookings made through GSRTC’s online passenger reservation system for Bhai Beej, a major travel day following Diwali when people commonly return to workplaces and cities after visiting family. The record therefore reflects both the scale of festive movement and the increasing use of digital services to access intercity bus travel.
GSRTC said its digital booking performance has risen substantially since 2019, when the corporation recorded 74,368 seats and ₹1.53 crore in revenue on the comparable festive travel day. The latest seat figure is nearly twice the 2019 level, while the reported digital revenue is more than double the earlier figure. The corporation also stated that total revenue during this year’s Bhai Beej exceeded ₹13 crore, although the report separately identifies ₹3.55 crore as revenue from digital bookings.
The expansion of mobile bookings changes how passengers interact with the state bus network. Instead of relying only on physical ticket counters or on-the-day availability, travellers can reserve seats before reaching a terminal. During a peak travel period, this can help passengers plan journeys and gives the transport corporation an advance view of demand across its services. The figures supplied in the report do not provide route-wise bookings, occupancy rates or the number of additional services operated on the day.
The record also places operational attention on the staff managing festive transport demand. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulated GSRTC drivers, conductors, mechanics and other employees, saying they had continued working to take passengers safely and on time to their destinations despite the festival period. His remarks recognised the workforce behind the digital transaction, including the staff required to operate the services after tickets are booked.
GSRTC’s reported performance highlights the relationship between digital ticketing and physical public transport capacity. Online reservations can make access to buses more convenient, but the benefit ultimately depends on the availability, scheduling and reliable operation of vehicles and crews. The supplied report does not state whether the corporation plans changes to its booking platform, fleet or festive scheduling after the record.
GSRTC said it remained committed to providing more advanced services to passengers in the coming period. The corporation’s next operational milestones will depend on how it sustains digital demand beyond the festive peak and whether the booking data is used to plan services across Gujarat’s intercity network.
