Today, bus companies are facing enormous challenges. The shortage of qualified drivers is an urgent issue that threatens the efficiency and safe operation of public transport. According to the Federal Association of German Bus Companies (BDO), there is already a shortage of around 20,000 bus drivers across Germany, and this number could rise to as many as 65,000 by 2030 if no countermeasures are taken. In Europe, the figure is even higher, with 105,000 unfilled positions for bus drivers, as evidenced by the IRU’s 2023 European Bus and Coach Driver Shortage Report. Over 80% of companies report significant or very significant difficulties in filling open positions. A central aspect that is often overlooked is the inefficient onboarding of new driving staff, which not only costs time and money but also increases turnover and poses potential safety risks.

In the dynamic world of public transport, ioki is taking another step toward digital transformation: our new generation of software for ioki Route is improving communication and planning between drivers and control centres. With two key features—timetable integration and driver messaging—we are setting new standards for efficiency and collaboration in public transport.

ioki Route is the newest addition to the ioki product family. This innovative solution includes the ioki Route App, a navigation tool, and ioki Route Control, a route management application, both specifically designed for line-based bus transport. ioki Route has now been around for over half a year and has achieved significant milestones since the product launch: Let’s take a look back.

No longer a luxury gadget: navigation apps are as much a part of travel and transport management as much as trains belong on rails and buses on the road. But what is actually behind successful and safe navigation in bus transport? And what happens when things need to be organised quickly?

Anyone who has ever been in a foreign city, or who wants to get from A to B quickly in their own hometown, knows this: Just open a navigation app like Google Maps or Apple Maps, enter your starting point and destination, and off you go. If a road or footpath is closed, the apps will show you alternative routes. This is not so easy on a public bus, where you have to think about the dimensions of the bus and the stops, as well as the passengers. But how does it work on a scheduled bus route? How do the drivers know where the bus is going and, above all, what happens when roadworks block the regular route?