ioki, together with S-Bahn Stuttgart and DB Regio Bus, will implement «S-Bahn On-Demand» during the main line closure in Stuttgart. For the first time, the technical plat-form of the DB subsidiary will be used as part of a rail replacement service. With this service, the three DB companies ensure mobility in the capital of Baden-Württemberg outside of core hours.
«Using on-demand services as rail replacement transport is an absolute novelty and shows the potential that digital and flexible offers have for public transport. We always think of mobility holistically, user-focused and efficiently. With on-demand transport, we are sustainably strengthening public transport in Stuttgart during the route closure and supplementing mobility by rail,» says Dr Michael Barillère-Scholz, Managing Director of ioki.
Unlike classic local transport, the routes of the on-demand buses are based on the individual wishes of the passengers. The minibuses do not follow a predefined timetable but make virtual stops. For this purpose, the intelligent algorithm of the ioki platform bundles up to 20 passengers into a carpool according to their destination. The minibuses can be booked flexibly, easily and individually via the on-demand app developed by ioki and by phone. The minibuses are operated by DB Regio Bus.
On-demand service increases mobility at off-peak times
Another special feature of the on-demand service in Stuttgart are the operating times: The shuttle buses operate exclusively on weekends and on Saturdays and Sundays in the evening and night hours. The weekend shuttle connects Vaihingen with the university and is available to passengers on Saturday evenings from 8pm to midnight and on Sundays from 10am to 8pm. Passengers can also use a night bus at late hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 0am to 6am. Here, too, the principle remains the same: those who book a shuttle will be taken to one of the virtual stops in the immediate vicinity of the destination address.
From 31 July, passengers of the Stuttgart S-Bahn can use the on-demand service. The new service will run for six weeks up to and including 12 September.
