74 pc of India's young and working-age travellers are powering the shift to Shared Mobility
India’s intercity travel is shifting towards shared mobility, with young and working professionals driving the trend, according to the IntrCity SmartBus Intercity Mobility Survey 2026. Based on responses from 13,320 participants across India, the survey found that 74.3 pc of respondents are aged 18-43 years, while 65.9 pc are salaried professionals, highlighting the growing adoption of shared mobility for long-distance travel.
In a press statement, the bus platform says that shared mobility has moved beyond being an economical alternative to becoming the preferred mode of intercity travel. Nearly half, or 49.2 pc, of respondents say all five of their most recent intercity journeys were made using shared mobility services such as buses, trains or shared transport. Looking ahead, more than three-fourths, or 76.3 pc, expect to increase their use of shared mobility over the next three years, reflecting growing confidence in organised, technology-led travel options.
The findings also reveal that today’s travellers are placing greater emphasis on experience than ownership. While over half of respondents have access to a personal vehicle, 30.4 pc says they own a car but prefer not to drive for intercity journeys. When asked to choose a mode of transport for a 400-600 km journey if costs were identical, nearly seven in 10, or 69.6 pc, preferred a premium shared bus over a personal car, train or flight, highlighting changing consumer expectations around convenience, comfort and stress-free travel.
Technology continues to play a defining role in this shift. More than four in five respondents, or 82.4 pc, says technology is very important to their travel experience, with online bus ticket booking and easier digital access at 42.5 pc, improved comfort and onboard amenities at 43 pc, and avoiding the stress of long-distance driving at 40.5 pc emerging as the strongest reasons for increasing their use of shared mobility.
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Safety remains the most influential factor shaping travel decisions. It ranked as the top consideration while choosing a shared mobility service at 43 pc, ahead of affordability at 42.5 pc and comfort and cleanliness at 40.5 pc. However, safety also emerged as the biggest barrier preventing greater adoption, with 33 pc of respondents citing safety concerns, reinforcing the need for organised operators to continue investing in passenger safety and service quality.
The survey also points to the emergence of a value-conscious traveller. More than 71 pc of respondents says they would be willing to pay more, or consider paying more depending on the journey, for services offering better safety, comfort and reliability, indicating that travellers are increasingly evaluating the overall travel experience rather than ticket price alone.
Manish Rathi
“The Indian intercity traveller has evolved significantly over the last few years. Today’s passengers are looking beyond affordability and are placing equal importance on reliability, comfort, safety and digital convenience. The survey reflects a larger behavioural shift where shared mobility is becoming the preferred choice for frequent travellers because it delivers a better overall travel experience. As organised mobility continues to evolve, we believe technology, consistent service quality and customer trust will define the future of intercity transportation,” says Manish Rathi, Co-founder and CEO of IntrCity SmartBus.
Among the key findings, 57.3 pc of respondents says they travel between cities at least two to three times every month, while 63.7 pc have increased their use of shared mobility over the past five years. The survey was conducted among 13,320 respondents across different age groups, occupations and travel frequencies to understand evolving intercity travel preferences, shared mobility adoption and future travel behaviour in India.
