By Seekriti Saha
The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) carried out its first trial run for its double-decker bus on Tuesday,16th September.
The bus was brought from a Chennai-based company called ‘Switch’ and tested on the Hinjewadi IT Park route. The Hinjewadi IT Park route is one of the highest corridors for vehicular traffic in the city.
“We are introducing the double-decker bus service on a gross cost contract (GCC) model. Initially, the PMPML will procure 10 such buses and with time, based on passenger response and operational review, we will look at further expanding the fleet. Our vision is to provide the citizens of Pune with safe, modern, and comfortable transport services backed by advanced technology. These buses are not only spacious but also eco-friendly and we believe they will transform the commuting experience, especially in busy IT hubs and crowded corridors”, Pankaj Deore, the PMPML chairman and managing director, said.
The trials will go on for about eight to fifteen days. The buses are mainly for the IT crowd.
A wanting to remain unnamed PMPML official said that the trials will be carried out on four routes-Magarpatta City to Kalyaninagar Metro Station, Ramwadi Metro Station to International Tech Park Kharadi, Hinjewadi Phase-3 and Pune Railway Station to Lohegaon Airport via Vimannagar.
The bus is an AC e-bus (9.5m in length, 4.75m in height and 2.6m in width) and, with a complete charge, can travel about 150km in total and has a digital ticketing system for its passengers to make transactions easier. Its design aligns with London’s sleek style format and has been suitable for Pune’s current flyovers and roads. Each bus costs around ₹2Crore.
The bus has a total capacity (including seating and standing) of 85 passengers with 65 seats.