The district council ends with line traffic: extensive public transport cuts!

The district council ends with line traffic: extensive public transport cuts!

Ulm, Deutschland - In Ulm there is news in public transport: The district council has decided to make some changes from December 2023. The reason for these adjustments is austerity measures in the district, which affect the trips in the evening and on weekends. According to Swabian in these time windows is significantly reduced, since the use of public transport has decreased significantly after 8 p.m. on weekdays.

The district council opted for the so -called scenario 2, which is an extended version of the original savings measure. This reduces not only the evening connections, but also numerous side connections on working days, Saturdays and on public holidays. The costs saved amount to almost 600,000 euros a year. Alternatively, scenario 3, which would have provided more drastic cuts, would have brought savings of around one million euros, but was rejected. District Administrator Heiner Scheffold described these cuts as a necessary correction and not as a restriction.

The mobility turn in context

Although these measures appear hard at first, the current development in local public transport (public transport) shows nationwide that passenger numbers have increased again since 2022. The vdv reports of an increase in user numbers, which were favored by returning to normality according to the corona pandemic. In 2023, around 9.4 billion passengers used the public transport of VDV member companies, which underlines the value of sustainable travel.

It is particularly interesting that the buses and trains together transport around 26 million passengers every day and thus replace 18 million car trips. In addition, 10 million tons of greenhouse gases were saved in this area. These facts emphasize the important role of local public transport, especially in an age in which climate protection is more than ever in focus.

The challenge of rural mobility

This leads us to the central challenge of the mobility transition, especially in rural regions such as the surroundings of Ulm. A study, conducted by Fraunhofer Iese , explains that the bus is an efficient solution to people's mobility needs. The study emphasizes that buses can promote many people with little energy and do not need any additional infrastructure such as rails.

However, many people in rural areas often have their own car as a preferred means of transportation, since line traffic often seems unattractive - be it due to poor timing, lack of flexibility or high prices. The study therefore suggests positioning the bus as an indispensable part of the mobility landscape and clearly focusing on the needs of the users.

With the upcoming changes in Ulm, it will be shown how you can act financially responsibly on the one hand and, on the other hand, increase the attractiveness of local public transport. In a world that increasingly relies on sustainable solutions, the path of green mobility could be worthwhile if it is implemented correctly.