Waldbröl: Citizens’ bus now only available to order – flexibility for everyone!

Waldbröl: Citizens’ bus now only available to order – flexibility for everyone!

In Waldbröl, the citizens' bus has changed fundamentally: from now on, the service only runs on request. This was presented by the citizens' bus association in the citizens' village on Alsberg. Chairman Michael Jaeger explained that the decision was made due to a decline in regular customers and a small number of new passengers after the corona pandemic. Previously there were frequent empty runs, which led to a rethink. What is new is an app-supported system that replaces the classic timetable and thus enables more flexible use of the citizens' bus. This reports Review online.

The citizens' bus now only runs half of the previous route kilometers, but at the same time the number of passengers has quadrupled. What is striking is the high proportion of younger users who can use the service by booking a trip by phone on 0175/1 16 66 04 or by using the new internet app. Leo Wehling from the “On Demand” team explained how the app works: Users enter their starting and destination locations and the system checks the availability of a trip between the virtual stops in the city.

Flexibility and quality of life

By switching to the new system, the city has significantly increased the flexibility and quality of life for its citizens, explained Mayor Larissa Weber. Passengers now do not have to walk more than 350 meters to a stop and can start their journey within just 30 minutes of booking. Thomas Rothe from the Cologne district government described the system as groundbreaking and the first app-supported citizen bus in the district. This initiative is also related to the new developments in local public transport, which are introducing more and more flexible forms of service such as call-sharing taxis and taxi buses, especially in rural areas and urban suburbs, such as the portal mobile.nrw holds on.

Another aspect is the support of the project by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia (MUNV). The “Citizens' Laboratory Mobile Münsterland” (BüLaMo) project in Olfen and Lüdinghausen is testing comparable call systems for citizens' buses. In this context, there are numerous inquiries from other community bus associations and transport companies in North Rhine-Westphalia who are interested in the experiences gained. The citizen bus service is therefore also seen as a link between classic taxi services and regular services, as Corinna Güllner from the Oberbergische Verkehrsgesellschaft emphasizes. This development is part of a larger initiative that aims to promote the expansion of on-demand transport in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is also reflected in a report by Münsterland.com is highlighted.

The future of mobility

The new citizen bus system in Waldbröl is an excellent example of adapting to modern mobility needs. Digital booking via the app not only offers a flexible solution, but also the opportunity to plan trips efficiently. Around 30 on-demand services have been launched in North Rhine-Westphalia, which are characterized by algorithms for trip planning and digital booking options. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia will invest a total of 120 million euros in the expansion of these innovative forms of mobility by 2031. Digitalization has clear advantages here: It enables fast scheduling times and effective ride pooling, which means passengers can particularly benefit.

Waldbröl is positioning itself as a pioneer in the area of ​​community buses and shows how new paths can be broken with a good hand in mobility planning. The coming months will show how well the new system works in everyday life, but the first step into the future has already been taken.