Long-distance bus travel offers cleaner air than polluted cities in winter: Study

NEW DELHI: A new study by Respirer Living Sciences in collaboration with IntrCity SmartBus has found that long-distance bus travel during winter exposes passengers to significantly cleaner air compared to the severely polluted conditions in many north and central Indian cities.The study, conducted from December 7 to 14, 2025, covered 11 intercity routes across the country and is India’s first to measure real-time air quality inside long-distance buses. Its findings show that passengers spent up to 80% of their travel time breathing air with PM2.5 levels below 60 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³).Across most routes, around 60–80% of the journey duration recorded PM2.5 levels under 60 µg/m³, indicating generally acceptable in-cabin air quality during transit. The analysis suggests that air filtration and in-cabin air systems play a crucial role in reducing passenger exposure to pollution, even while travelling through heavily polluted corridors in northern and central India.The study notes that while pollution spikes did occur, they were short-lived and intermittent. Overall, a substantial share of bus travel took place under low to moderate PM2.5 levels, offering a relatively cleaner breathing environment compared to outdoor city air during winter.Route-wise data showed particularly favourable conditions on sectors such as Delhi–Kanpur, Pune–Nagpur, Pune–Bangalore, Delhi–Lucknow, Pathankot–Delhi, Delhi–Katra, and Katra–Delhi, where PM2.5 levels remained below 60 µg/m³ for more than 80% of the travel time. In contrast, the Delhi–Pathankot and Lucknow–Delhi routes recorded slightly higher exposure, with over 20% of travel time exceeding the 60 µg/m³ threshold.Even on routes with relatively higher pollution, exposure to PM2.5 concentrations above 90 µg/m³ was generally limited to a small portion of the journey—often less than 10–15% of total travel time. According to the study, these brief pollution peaks are likely linked to short-term external factors such as traffic congestion or localised pollution hotspots.Researchers said the findings provide a detailed picture of passenger exposure to particulate pollution during long-distance road travel and add a new dimension to discussions on mobility and public health in India. The study is the first publicly shared evidence of real-time air quality conditions inside long-distance buses in the country.



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