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PMPML picks 10 non-Metro routes for fresh double-decker trial
The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is set to conduct trial runs of double-decker electric buses in the city once again, this time on 10 routes not served by either the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system or the Metro
The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is set to conduct trial runs of double-decker electric buses in the city once again, this time on 10 routes not served by either the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system or the Metro. The fresh trials will begin on July 21.
The shortlisted routes include Hadapsar–Wagholi and Hadapsar–Swargate. The remaining routes were also selected because they lack Metro and BRT connectivity.
The decision to undertake fresh trials follows PMPML’s earlier pilot project in the Hinjewadi area in September 2025. Since then, Metro Line 3 has become operational on that corridor, raising concerns that it could significantly reduce passenger demand for PMPML services in the area.
Additionally, officials identified operational challenges during the previous trial. This prompted the transport utility to explore alternative routes to realistically assess the buses’ performance and viability.
Officials from Switch Mobility, the company that supplied the double-decker buses to Mumbai’s BEST undertaking, recently met PMPML officials to finalise the trial arrangements. The company agreed to provide one double-decker electric bus for the exercise on July 20, a day before the trials begin.
Company representatives will be present throughout the testing along with PMPML officials to monitor the bus’s performance, collect operational data and evaluate its suitability for Pune’s road network.
PMPML Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Mahesh Awhad said, “The trials will be carried out only on corridors where there is no Metro or BRT service so that we can properly assess operational feasibility and passenger response.”
