Gandhinagar: With the onset of summer vacations in schools and colleges, Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has witnessed a sharp rise in advance bus ticket bookings as passengers travel to tourist destinations, pilgrimage sites and their hometowns across Gujarat.

According to official figures, between April 25 and May 5, a total of 9,93,188 tickets were booked in advance, generating revenue of Rs 26.83 crore for the state transport corporation.

The increase in travel demand has been particularly noticeable on routes connecting hill stations, religious destinations and villages in the Saurashtra and North Gujarat regions.

GSRTC officials said digital booking platforms accounted for the majority of reservations, reflecting growing passenger preference for online services.

Out of the total bookings, 6,75,809 tickets worth Rs 17.04 crore were booked through the mobile application, accounting for nearly 66 per cent of all reservations. Another 64,802 tickets worth Rs 1.90 crore were booked through the online website, while 1,30,711 tickets worth Rs 3.63 crore were booked through reservation counters. The remaining bookings were made through authorised franchises.

Officials said booking activity has surged significantly during peak hours, with nearly 50,000 tickets being booked every hour.

The corporation expects bookings to rise further over the next two weeks due to the ongoing vacation period and the wedding season. Additional buses have been deployed from major cities including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot.