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(Pforzheim, July 15, 2019) On July 22, 2019, the “PforzheimShuttle” will start operations. The new on-demand service will be integrated into the existing Pforzheim city transport line concept and will complement the existing service in Pforzheim’s Nordstadt district.
With the start of operations on July 22, 2019, a vehicle will be carrying passengers from A to B between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays whenever required via smartphone app. The on-demand service transports customers on flexible routes with more than 21 possible stops, depending on the destination. The additional stops, in combination with the existing public transport stops, ensure a dense network. With the help of an intelligent algorithm, passengers with similar routes are automatically bundled into carpools and transported together, which makes the new service economically and ecologically sensible.
Customers can book the new digital service conveniently via app. It is also possible to request the bus by telephone via the customer centre as before. In addition to immediate ordering, the “PforzheimShuttle” can also be booked up to 7 days in advance. The new offer is fully integrated into the VPE tariff. Customers with single tickets or season tickets (daily, weekly, monthly or annual tickets from zone 2) can use the shuttle at no extra cost. However, tickets for short journeys are not valid.
The new mobility offer in Pforzheim is run by Südwestbus. The on-demand platform was developed by ioki, Deutsche Bahn’s business division for intelligent on-demand mobility.
“We are very pleased to be able to implement such a future project together with the city of Pforzheim. With the new digital call bus, customers are less dependent on timetables and regular frequencies. This means more comfort and more flexibility,” says Manfred Hovenjürgen, Managing Director of Südwestbus.
“The ‘PforzheimShuttle’ is a good example of the possibilities that digitisation offers in public transport,” says Lord Mayor Peter Boch. At the same time, this is a further building block on the way to a Smart City, that Südwestbus, ioki and the city of Pforzheim are jointly going here. “It is something special that we are able to implement the first offer of this kind in the VPE area in Pforzheim. The new on-demand service is the perfect addition to and extension of our public transport range,” says Pforzheim’s Lord Mayor Peter Boch.
“We are delighted to have been able to help the city of Pforzheim and Südwestbus implement this innovative service with our on-demand platform. This brings us another step closer to our vision of ‘more mobility and less traffic’,” says Julia Schmid, Project Manager Pforzheim at ioki.
Further information can be found at: pforzheimfaehrtbus.de/shuttle
Source: Deutsche Bahn Presse
