Online booking of bus tickets is a last minute phenomena

32% comes from bookings on same day of travel, 24% is a day prior to travel

More than 50% online booking of bus tickets is unplanned. About 32% of it is on the day of travel and 24% is one day prior to travel, said a report by Goibibo.com, an online travel aggregator.

This is based on insights derived from Goibibo's online buyer data.

The key factors driving growth of online bus ticketing are real time inventory being made available from thousands of bus supplies and consolidators, price and price comparison and convenience of booking.

Another key aspect driving growth is increase in supply of luxury buses such as Volvo, Mercedes and Olivia, the report said.

Across sectors, bookings are highest in Bangalore-Hyderabad-Bangalore, at 10%. This is followed by Chennai-Bangalore; Pune-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Vijaywada.

Among the types of bus services chosen for online booking, 72% bookings are made on AC buses, with an average price of Rs 899. The remaining 28% are booked with non-AC buses with an average price of Rs 399.

The concept of booking of ladies seat is another reason which has made online booking popular with travellers, especially women, the report said.