Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, July 17, 2026 — Eight battery-electric buses have arrived in Puerto Vallarta for planned service along Boulevard Francisco Medina Ascencio, moving the long-delayed transportation project closer to operation without answering the question most riders have: When will the buses begin carrying passengers?
The new units arrived in the city this week, but the Jalisco government had not released an operating date, a final schedule, or a public route notice as of Friday.
Delivery of the buses does not necessarily mean they are ready to enter regular service. The vehicles must be assigned to routes, connected to charging facilities, integrated with the fare system and supported by trained drivers, maintenance crews and operating schedules.
Medina Ascencio is Puerto Vallarta’s principal north-south transportation corridor, connecting Las Juntas and the airport area with Marina Vallarta, the Hotel Zone, the Agustín Flores Contreras sports complex and the approaches to Centro.
The electric corridor was first presented in January 2025 as a major reorganization of public transportation along that avenue. State officials announced 38 electric buses operating on four trunk routes and one complementary route, with an expected service frequency of about 5 minutes and a capacity to serve 20,000 passengers per day.
That plan included 18 articulated buses measuring 18 meters and 20 conventional 12-meter units. The announced investment was 867.8 million pesos, and service was initially expected to begin in October 2025.
October passed without the corridor opening.
Puerto Vallarta did receive 31 new public buses in December 2025, including 10 electric units, as part of a broader renewal of the city’s transportation fleet. The dedicated Medina Ascencio electric system, however, remained unfinished.
The state revised the rollout again in April, announcing seven articulated Yutong buses expected to begin operating in the first week of May. Those units were described as low-floor vehicles with air conditioning, universal accessibility, cellphone charging ports, onboard cameras and capacity for as many as 130 passengers.
The April announcement referred to the seven buses as the first part of a 19-unit electric fleet. Officials have not publicly reconciled that figure with the 38 electric buses included in the original corridor presentation, leaving it unclear whether the 19 units represent an initial phase or a reduction in the project.
The promised May opening also passed.
By mid-May, charging infrastructure remained the principal obstacle preventing the new buses from entering regular service. The Puerto Vallarta City Council had already approved the transfer of municipal property to the state-run Sistema de Tren Eléctrico Urbano, or SITEUR, for infrastructure needed to operate the electric fleet.
A single electric bus was later seen undergoing tests on Medina Ascencio in early July, indicating that technical evaluations were continuing more than two months after the previously announced start date.
The arrival of eight buses this week suggests that the physical fleet is finally being assembled in Puerto Vallarta. It is not yet clear whether these are the seven articulated buses announced in April plus an additional unit, whether they are part of a later shipment, or how many will enter service during the first operating phase.
Officials also have not confirmed whether the fare will remain 10 pesos, as announced when the corridor was presented, or whether passengers will need a Mi Movilidad card to board. Exact stops, hours of operation and route terminals have not been published in a final rider notice.
Once operating, the corridor could provide a higher-capacity option for hotel employees, airport-area workers, students and other passengers traveling between northern Puerto Vallarta and Centro. Air-conditioned, accessible buses would also represent a substantial improvement over many units currently serving the city.
Passengers should continue using existing routes until the state publishes a formal opening date. For riders, the decisive milestone will be a confirmed operating schedule—not the arrival of buses that remain out of service.
