New on-call bus service in Western Pomerania: Your journey to the doctor will be easier!

New on-call bus service in Western Pomerania: Your journey to the doctor will be easier!

There is exciting news in the field of mobility in Western Pomerania! From today, October 1, 2025, the transport companies will significantly expand their on-call bus offers. Two new on-call bus lines await passengers on the picturesque island of Rügen: Altefähr Ost and Teschenhagen. The “VVR-Surfer” on-call bus every day between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. ensures that even the more remote regions are better connected. Since the summer of 2025, there has already been an important line connecting the rural areas between Samtens, Garz and Zicker. Even more expanded options for rural regions on Rügen are being planned for the coming year, which should please many people. Booking the on-call bus is easy: you can book the service either by phone or via an app at least one hour before the desired departure, as the website says daily news communicates.

But the innovations don't stop there! Particular attention is being paid to a pilot project in the Pasewalk area, which was launched in cooperation with local specialists. Here, for the first time, the on-call bus is directly linked to specialist appointments to give people without their own vehicle reliable access to medical care. Several specialist practices in Pasewalk are taking part in the project, including specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, surgery, pulmonology, ophthalmology and gynecology, such as that Northern Courier reported. The appointment is coordinated with the ILSE on-call bus timetables. A special feature is that patients can be driven back to their front door for a small additional charge of one euro.

Medical care in rural areas

The project, led by mayor Antje Zibell and coordinator Antje Hellwig, aims to improve medical care for people in rural areas. District Administrator Michael Sack described it as groundbreaking and sees Western Pomerania-Greifswald on the best path to acting as a pioneer in this area. From Monday to Thursday, buses from various regions such as Krackow, Penkun and Strasburg drive to the central center of Pasewalk to make it easier for passengers to get to specialist practices.

A look at mobility in rural areas shows the major challenges that exist. According to the bpb In rural areas, 60% of all journeys are made by car. Public transport is not very attractive, which greatly reduces its use. The connection to medical facilities is often inadequate, which particularly affects seniors and people with low incomes. Migration from rural areas is also increased by perceived disadvantages in the transport system.

A step in the right direction

However, with the new on-call bus offers and the pilot project in Pasewalk, the transport companies in Western Pomerania seem to be showing a good hand at meeting these challenges. If the pilot project is successful, there could soon be further similar offers at other locations. The creation of new mobility offerings is an important step towards increasing the quality of life in rural regions and ensuring public services for everyone.

It remains to be seen how the new on-call bus offers and the innovative project in Pasewalk will be received by citizens. Even if the road to better mobility in rural areas is still long, the initiative shows that solutions are actively being worked on here.