End of an era: Aurich's call bus abolished after 20 years!

End of an era: Aurich's call bus abolished after 20 years!

The call bus in Aurich has played an important role in local transport since its introduction in 2004. He was launched to meet the needs of the citizens: inside that had to deal with inadequate bus connections. This flexible service of their own kind offered people the opportunity to book trips by phone and thus easily reach the city center. But the call bus has been temporarily discontinued since the beginning of June 2023. A new mobility concept is to be presented this January 2024, while the city is looking for new partners in the area of ​​passenger transport. [Nwzonline] (https://www.nwzonline.de/landkreis-aurich/anrufbus-in-urich-stopp-nach-20-jahne-neues-mobilitaets concept-in-wabhah_4,1096794881.html) reports that affect public transport in Aurich.

The operating times of the call bus were on weekdays, from Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and from 2:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Trips had to be registered by phone at least one hour in advance. It was necessary to specify the destination address to be picked up on time. The citizens: In this way, various stops in the urban area were able to reach various stops within 15 to 30 minutes. However, a longer travel time was to be planned for remote any more remote districts. Despite the practical handling, many users reported: inside of dissatisfactory experiences, for example in the local knowledge of the call center employees. Rosemarie Legendre, long -time user of the call bus, emphasizes the reliability and importance of the service for older people who are dependent on the bus. Auricher Taxenzentrale underpins these statements with information on the individual registration criteria.

challenges and future prospects

In recent years, the call bus was faced with various challenges. During the Corona pandemic, the fare fell away temporarily to alleviate social hardships. From 2021, demand fell increasingly, which the system made increasingly expensive for the city - around 300,000 euros annually. In addition, accusations of "ghost buses" and the unfriendliness of the call center contributed to a negative perception of the service. The city of Aurich has been heavily financially burdened in recent years and faces a deficit of around 20 million euros; The call bus was no longer portable. [Nwzonline] (https://www.nwzonline.de/landkreis-aurich/anrufbus-in-aurich-stopp-nach-neues- Neues-Mobilitaets concept-in-wabh_4,1096794881.html) refers to these problems and the uncertain future for the call bus.

The discussion about the traffic design in Aurich is now being replaced. For many citizens: inside, especially seniors, the call bus is still indispensable for purchases, visits to the doctor and other necessary settings. The SPD/GAP therefore proposes a AI-based demand bus system. Such systems could replace the call bus to enable flexible and needs -based trips. IOKI emphasizes that information and barrier-low offers are the key to satisfactory public mobility, especially for older people.