Pune, 15th July 2026: Trial runs of a double-decker electric bus will resume, with Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) scheduled to start testing the vehicle on 10 city routes from July 21. In contrast to the earlier trial, this phase will concentrate on corridors that currently lack Metro or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services.
Among the routes selected for the trial are Hadapsar–Wagholi and Hadapsar–Swargate. The initiative aims to evaluate whether double-decker buses can improve passenger capacity and public transport services on high-demand routes that currently lack rapid transit connectivity.
Officials from Switch Mobility, the company that supplies double-decker buses to Mumbai's BEST undertaking, recently met PMPML officials to finalise the trial. The company will provide a bus for testing on July 20, while road trials will begin the following day. Representatives from both PMPML and Switch Mobility will be present during the exercise.
PMPML had earlier conducted a trial of a double-decker bus in the Hinjawadi area in September 2025. However, the route has since been selected for the Metro Line 3 corridor, and officials believe Metro services are likely to reduce passenger demand for PMPML buses on that stretch.
The earlier trial also identified a few operational challenges, prompting the transport utility to reassess the concept on different routes.
PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Awhad said the new trial has been planned specifically for areas where neither Metro nor BRT services are available. He said the objective is to study the performance and practicality of operating double-decker buses on such routes before taking a decision on their regular deployment.