“How can we holistically shape the future of mobility in Stuttgart?” The state capital Stuttgart is addressing this question by planning an interconnected network of mobility hubs. The goal is to drive forward the mobility transition, contribute to climate protection, and improve the quality of life for residents.

On-demand services complement and optimise public transport: without timetables, digitally controlled, and perfectly tailored to demand. They offer flexible mobility for both urban and rural areas while promoting a more environmentally friendly future for public transport.

Line-based demand-responsive transport (DRT) combines the benefits of traditional scheduled services with the flexibility of on-demand transport. Unlike conventional bus services with fixed schedules and stops, this type of service adapts to passenger demand.

GTFS stands for General Transit Feed Specification and is an open data standard. Transport companies around the world use this standard to provide their traffic data on routes, timetables, tariffs, but also real-time information. This allows passengers to see if a bus is delayed and is not limited to a local app when searching for a public transport connection.

“New Mobility” is often referred to as “smart mobility” and is a collective term for many innovations relating to technology and mobility. These new mobility services combine digitalisation with traditional mobility and use the advantages of the internet. New mobility services include bike sharing, demand-responsive transport, ride hailing and smart parking.

Europe’s population is ageing. in 2019, more than a fifth (20.3 per cent) of the EU-27 population was at least 65 years old. And the trend is still rising. Demographic change is a challenge for public transport, but it can also be an opportunity for growth with a customised mobility offer for senior citizens. After all, if older people no longer drive, they are increasingly dependent on public transport in order to continue to actively participate in social life.

Smart mobility solutions use technology and innovation to improve mobility for everyone. Similarly, Smart Cities use innovative concepts and technological advancements to improve life in urban spaces. Both enable us to achieve the vision of more human-oriented and efficient places in cities.

In this edition of the blog series “Mobility turn now!”, we are focusing on the largest of Germany’s eastern federal states relating to area: Brandenburg. In addition to the Spreewald cucumbers and unspoilt nature, Brandenburg has a lot to offer in terms of new mobility and Smart Cities.

Mobility Hubs, also known as Mobility stations, are publicly accessible locations where various modes of transport and sharing services converge. These can be S-Bahn (suburban train) and subway stations in an urban context, or even a bus stop in the countryside where rental bikes are available or important bus routes intersect. At these stations, people can easily switch from one mode of transport to another. Mobility hubs promote efficient and sustainable mobility by offering various mobility services, otherwise known as Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). The concept can be expanded from a simple bus stop to large Mobility Hubs, for example, with a combination of on-demand transport, car sharing stations, or e-scooters.

Demand-responsive Transport (DRT) refers to a technology-based and shared mobility service. Instead of following predefined routes, timetables and fixed stops, on-demand services follow no timetable, also make virtual stops and operate on different routes. The vehicles operate on demand and when needed. Booking is usually done via app but can also be done via phone call and/or in the web browser. DRT combines the reliability of conventional public transport with the flexible availability of private cars.

This time we’re off to the far north, or more precisely to the Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The port metropolis on the Elbe is a pioneer in Germany for digital, climate-friendly and flexible mobility.

Holidays without mobility are only possible on staycations, because no matter whether it’s a day trip, an annual holiday or a long-term trip: Travelling means being mobile. In order to achieve the climate protection goals and to advance the traffic turnaround, tourist traffic should also be critically examined, because Germans like to travel a lot.