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Which transport routes will be affected by bus strikes in Hesse?

Bus routes will be disrupted in many cities in Hesse, due to strikes on Wednesday and Thursday. Here's where and when passengers will be affected.

Published: 28 May 2024 11:31 CEST
Updated: 29 May 2024 07:33 CEST
sign in Bus reads 'we're striking'
Bus driver hangs a banner in the windshield that reads “We're striking”. Drivers from private bus companies across Hesse will engage in a warning strike on Wednesday and Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Frank Rumpenhorst

Passengers in the state of Hesse should expect all-day disruptions of bus travel on Wednesday and Thursday as Verdi trade union has announced state-wide warning strikes.

The trade union has called for bus drivers of several companies to take part in the strikes, which come just days ahead of an agreed arbitration, which is to start at the beginning of June.

When and where will passengers be affected?

According to Verdi, the warning strikes on Wednesday are to begin with the early shift from 3.30 am and last until the end of the late shift on Thursday night.

Thursday is also Corpus Christi, a public holiday in parts of Germany, including Hesse.

During these times, bus routes in Vellmar, Baunatal and Hofgeismar (all Kassel), Büdingen (Wetterau), Homberg (Efze) and Melsungen (both Schwalm-Eder), Offenbach, Fulda, Oberursel (Hochtaunus), Hanau, Gelnhausen, Bad Homburg and Weiterstadt (Darmstadt-Dieburg) will be affected. 

In the town of Giessen, the intercity buses will run whereas regional lines won’t.

Buses in Frankfurt will also be disrupted. However, U-bahn and S-Bahn trains as well as trams will continue as normal. 

In the major cities of Kassel and Darmstadt and in large parts of Wiesbaden, on the other hand, bus transport is expected to run normally. Most of the bus drivers in these regions are covered by other collective agreements.

Why are bus drivers striking again in Hesse?

Recently, just before and after the Whitsun (Pentecost) weekend, bus drivers in Hesse had gone on strike, which led to almost complete cancellations of bus services in many cities.

Following that strike, the bus companies involved negotiated with Verdi trade union, but failed to reach an agreement. Instead, a period of arbitration was triggered and scheduled for Friday, May 31st. 

According to reporting by regional outlet Hessenschau, no new strikes will take place during the arbitration period, since neutral parties will be hearing arguments from both sides and deciding on a conciliation recommendation. 

“We want to emphasise our demands again before the arbitration,” Verdi negotiator Jochen Koppel said, explaining the motive for Wednesday’s strike. 

Voices representing the bus companies have been critical of the strike. Chief negotiator of the State Association of Hessian Bus Companies (LHO), Volker Tuchan, said on Monday: “We find it very regrettable that public transport passengers are being affected again.”

On behalf of the bus drivers, Verdi is demanding wage increases as well as paid breaks. 

Verdi is reportedly demanding a salary increase of 8.5 percent each, delivered in two stages, for about 6,000 employees. In addition, they want €3,000 in inflation compensation bonuses for each employee and compensation during break times. 

The employers’ association LHO had rejected the demands as unfinanceable. The recent counter offer was a wage increase of 9.3 percent, delivered in three stages.

READ ALSO: ‘No family life’ –  A Berlin bus driver explains why public transport workers are striking

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TRAVEL NEWS

How can Germany fix its patchy rural transport connections?

While German cities are some of the best connected in the world, inadequate infrastructure in the countryside can create headaches for public transport users. Could new 'transfer hubs' be the answer?

Published: 18 June 2024 12:54 CEST
How can Germany fix its patchy rural transport connections?

Last year, a major survey conducted by city guides publisher Time Out crowned Berlin the city with the best public transport in the world. The extensive bus, tram and train network was praised by 97 percent of Berlin residents, who noted that transport in the German capital tended to be safe, comfortable and reliable.

But for those who travel a short distance out into Brandenburg, Berlin’s rural neighbour, the contrast couldn’t be more striking: trains stop running at 6pm, buses come every 2-3 hours and residents often face a lengthy trek to their nearest bus or train station. 

This divide was confirmed in a 2021 study by Deutsche Bahn subsidiary ioki that looked at public transport connections in Germany. Researchers found that while around 27 million people who lived in German cities had very good access to public transport, the 55 million who lived in suburban or rural areas were much more badly served.

READ ALSO: 55 million people in Germany have ‘inadequate public transport’

According to Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), rural areas are in “urgent need” of solutions to these gaps in public transport. 

Speaking to DPA on Tuesday, the FDP politician set out his plans for local ‘transfer hubs’ that he said would encourage more car users to use public transport – even in non-urban areas.  

What exactly is a transfer hub?

A ‘transfer hub’ – or Umstiegs-Hub in German – is a place designed for travellers to switch from one mode of transport to another. As an example, Wissing mentioned easily accessible train stations with parking spaces, good bus connections, cycle paths and e-car charging ports where people could easily switch from their car to a quick commute by rail into the nearest city.

“We need more attractive transfer points in rural areas,” the Transport Minister told DPA. “The federal states could consider for themselves which locations in which regions would be best for such transfer hubs. From there, rail connections could then be offered to the metropolitan regions at regular intervals.” 

As opposed to taking “coercive” measures to force the switch from car to public transport, a “constructive approach” that considers both modes of transport would take the country further, Wissing said. 

“I believe that there is an urgent need in Germany to orientate the structures in rural areas towards more multimodal transport,” he explained. “The convenient flexibility of the car and the efficiency of the railway can be combined if the infrastructure is right.”

READ ALSO: Why (and where) Germans are choosing to go on holiday by car this year

What impact could this have?

With Germany’s transport sector repeatedly missing its climate targets, the ministry needs to find ways to reduce emissions and encourage a more widespread use of sustainable transport.

According to Wissing, this could have a much bigger impact in the countryside than it would in a city like Frankfurt or Berlin, since people in rural areas tend to travel longer distances. 

“We can achieve a situation where a commuter travels perhaps 20 or 25 kilometres to a transfer hub instead of 100 kilometres each way to work by car,” said Wissing. “That would be up to 150 kilometres less per day – a huge potential reduction in CO2.”

Bayerischer Oberlandbahn in Warngau

A regional train run by the Bayerischer Oberlandbahn stops near Warngau. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lennart Preiss

But climate groups and transport companies have been pushing for a much more ambitious approach to expanding public transport in the countryside.

In its six-point plan for delivering good rural public transport, for example, the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) calls for rail-bus connections that run at least hourly and flexible, on-demand public transport options. 

However, Wissing said that a lack of skilled labour and low demand on rural routes would make it difficult to offer the kind of bus and train services VDV is calling for. 

“If the bus used to come every three hours and in future it will come every two hours – what kind of improvement would that be? People would stay in their cars,” he said.

READ ALSO: What to know about Deutsche Bahn’s summer service changes

Where does the Deutschlandticket come into this? 

According to the VDV, the €49 monthly travel pass, which has been valid for more than a year on local and regional transport throughout Germany, has an average of 11.2 million subscribers per month.

So far, however, it is primarily a ticket that is used in urban regions, with only 21 percent of Deutschlandticket users coming from rural areas.

According to VDV surveys, around 16 percent of Deutschlandticket users have been travelling by car less often since taking out the subscription.

Nevertheless, the shift has not yet materialised to the extent the government hoped for.

Meanwhile, federal and state transport ministers have been discussing an expansion and modernisation pact for local public transport for some time. The federal states are also calling on the federal government to increase the billions in regionalisation funds, which are used to order services from regional public transport companies.

With reporting by DPA

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