Short trips popular towards year end

Bengalureans are taking quick getaway drives in the year-end season

After months of little or no travel, car rental companies are offering deals to make the last few days of the year a little better.

Online cab booking aggregator Savaari Car Rentals is promoting premium intercity travel.

“We’ve been getting a lot of bookings for outstation travel,” says founder and CEO Gaurav Aggarwal.

Some are crossing state borders and going on longer tours, but a majority are keen on visiting places close to Bengaluru.

“Skandagiri Hills and Savandurga are great for camping trips. Gandikota, Dandeli and Yelagiri are some of the other popular destinations,” says Aggarwal.

Uber is also encouraging short trips out of Bengaluru.

“As cities reopen and residents resume travel, our intercity services are showing positive signs of recovery with a significant increase in rider demand,” a spokesperson says.

For the year-end, Uber is offering discounted fares. From Bengaluru, it has been doing many trips to Mysuru and Nandi Hills.

Overall, car rental bookings are way fewer than last year.

Hariprakash Agrawal, founder and CEO of RideAlly, says, “They are 50 per cent fewer than last year. However, there’s more booking in December than in November.”

One-day and one-way trips are catching on this season.

“Usually, towards the end of the year, people mostly travelled to Ooty, Kodaikanal and Munnar. We don’t see too much demand for those destinations this year. Not too many families are preferring to book cabs either; they take their own vehicles,” he adds.

RideAlly rents out cars with drivers, but if customers prefer drivers for their personal car, the company supplies them as well.

Popular destinations

Skandagiri, 61 km

Savandurga, 50 km

Nandi Hills, 61 km

Mysuru, 144 km

(Distance from Bengaluru)