📋 Tender Overview
Baden-Wurttemberg is celebrating ten years of community buses and community transport. Citizen buses, citizen call cars and volunteer driving services ensure mobility, especially in rural regions. Baden-Wurttemberg is celebrating ten years of citizen buses and community transport. This is one of the biggest success stories of voluntary mobility in the country. What began in 2015 with around 100 initiatives has grown to almost 300 by 2025. Today, citizen buses, citizen call cars and volunteer driving services ensure mobility, especially in rural regions. More than just a means of transport Citizens buses are more than just a means of transport, says the Minister of Transport. These transports are created through the commitment of the population to the community, create encounters and strengthen cooperation. They make mobility possible for many. This only works because people are committed to their community and their fellow citizens. State advises and supports The state has been supporting the citizen bus initiatives financially and professionally since 2015. With the establishment of a competence team, a central advice center for volunteers was created. In the following years, practical guidelines, training courses and nationwide funding were added. The flat-rate administrative cost allowance from 2018 was an important step in providing long-term support for the ongoing expenses of the community bus associations. Saved over the Corona years During the Corona years 2020 and 2021, the state helped with hardship compensation so that the voluntary transport companies could maintain their services. The funding program was further developed in 2023: Since then, it has covered more costs, made it easier to submit applications and relieved the burden on municipalities. A current evaluation study shows what a difference the citizens buses make: around a third of passengers said they would have to forego some activities without the service. Citizen buses complement traditional local transport, close gaps in services and enable participation in social life. The country wants to consistently continue on this path. Ten years of support for citizens buses show that with commitment and good cooperation, Baden-Wurttemberg can enable mobility everywhere - even where public buses no longer run, said Hermann.
