IntrCity SmartBus has partnered with Respirer Living Sciences to introduce SmartBus.AQI – India’s first-ever fleet of buses equipped with air-purification and real-time air-quality monitoring.

IntrCity SmartBus has unveiled India’s first dedicated fleet of air-purified buses, marking a major step forward in tackling air pollution inside long-distance public transport.

The newly introduced IntrCity SmartBus.AQI service brings continuous air purification and real-time monitoring to intercity travel, addressing growing concerns about the quality of air passengers breathe during their journeys.

The initiative comes after a series of in-cabin air-quality tests conducted by IntrCity across multiple bus routes. The findings were stark – pollution levels inside buses were often two to three times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limits.

These elevated pollution levels, made worse by open doors, multiple stoppages, and high-traffic corridors, highlighted a largely ignored problem in intercity mobility.

To combat this, IntrCity partnered with Respirer Living Sciences, a leading ClimateTech company specializing in advanced air-quality intelligence and clean-air systems.

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IntrCity SmartBus.AQI: Buses with Onboard Air Purifiers

The new SmartBus.AQI fleet is equipped with high-efficiency purification units that target PM2.5 particles, carbon dioxide, dust, smoke, and other harmful pollutants.

The system uses AI-powered monitoring along with a patent-pending, demand-controlled energy-recovery filtration system to ensure cleaner and healthier air throughout the ride.

During pilot runs, PM2.5 levels inside these buses with onboard air purifiers were consistently maintained at around 15 µg/m³ for more than 90% of the travel time, aligning with WHO’s recommended 24-hour safe limit.

This represents a dramatic improvement over both outdoor conditions and typical in-cabin pollution in standard intercity buses.

“SmartBus.AQI is our commitment to ensuring that clean, safe air becomes a standard part of bus travel in India. This is a meaningful upgrade to the overall travel experience and to passenger wellbeing.”

Manish Rathi, Co-founder & CEO, IntrCity SmartBus.

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Real-Time AQI Transparency for Passengers

With a strong focus on transparency, passengers can access real-time AQI and PM2.5 data:

• On display screens inside the bus
• Directly through the IntrCity mobile app

This allows travelers to verify air-quality levels throughout their journey and reinforces the brand’s commitment to safe, clean air in buses.

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Phased Rollout on High-Pollution Routes

The first phase of SmartBus.AQI covers some of North India’s most pollution-affected intercity routes, including:

• Lucknow
• Kanpur
• Katra
• Pathankot

When booking through the IntrCity app or website, travelers can easily identify buses with air purifiers by the “.AQI” suffix in the service name.

With IntrCity SmartBus.AQI, India’s intercity bus segment takes a pioneering leap toward healthier mobility.

By integrating advanced air purification systems, real-time monitoring, and AI-driven technologies, IntrCity has effectively introduced a new category of buses with onboard air purifiers—setting a benchmark for the industry to follow.