From September 29 SiGGi will be driving through the streets of Kelsterbach in the district of Groß-Gerau. «From now on, the citizens of Kelsterbach can travel around the city daily with the new small electric buses and reach all important destinations on short distances», says Mayor Manfred Ockel at the SiGGi press conference and thanking all those involved for providing the new innovative service. With the commissioning of the on-demand shuttle, the district of Groß- Gerau is entering a new form of digital public transport, which will continue to develop sustainably using emission-free drives. «The district of Groß-Gerau has set itself the goal of successively switching to electric mobility for the further development of public transport in the coming years,» emphasises District Administrator Thomas Will. «The deployment of SiGGi is also a further signal of departure for the district’s efforts to develop the necessary framework conditions so that existing gaps in local public transport are closed and the conditions for a successful mobility turnaround are created.
«No longer looking at the timetable, but simply being mobile on demand: on-demand services are revolutionising mass transit and are crucial for the mobility turnaround, especially in places where buses and trains are not constantly on the move,» says Manag- ing Director Prof. Knut Ringat of Rhine-Main Transport Authority (RMV). «RMV has created the largest on-demand network in Germany with nine municipal partners. Whether in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Hofheim or Hanau, whether in Limburg, Taunusstein, in the district of Offenbach or now here in Kelsterbach – anyone who gets on an on-demand shuttle in the RMV can travel almost as flexibly and comfortably as in their own car. I am very pleased that SiGGi is now enriching the on-demand family and that from November all projects will be on the road with the DaDiLiner.»
The on-demand shuttles do not follow a fixed timetable but can simply be booked when you need them. If several passengers want to travel in the same direction, an intelligent algorithm bundles their travel requests like in a carpool. This way, more mobility with less traffic is achieved and closes the gap between conventional mass transit and individual transport.
The development of this app and the provision of further digital and operational infrastructures are being funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure with 27 million euros as part of the funding guideline «Digitisation of municipal transport systems».
With the launch of SiGGi, the RMV On-Demand App will be activated for the service in Kelsterbach. It was developed by the DB company ioki: «Our software bundles passenger requests and determines the optimal route based on the bookings,» Benjamin Pfeifer, Chief Commercial Officer and part of the ioki management team, describes the booking process. «Digital and connected mobility services like the RMV On-Demand App strengthen local transport. Passengers are flexibly mobile with the app: simply download the app, register and book a ride. Thanks to the many stops, the next shuttle is just a click away.»
The contracting authority of SiGGi is Lokale Nahverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Kreis Groß-Gerau (LNVG). In cooperation with RMV, the new on-demand service in Kelsterbach was designed to contribute to a holistic mobility transition. «Building on the experience of this project, the intention is to expand the service to the entire district area in the next few years if there is sufficient demand and funding,» LNVG Managing Director Christian Sommer points out.
SiGGi will run from October 4, 2022 on Sundays to Thursdays on demand from 9 a.m. to midnight and on Fridays, Saturdays and before public holidays from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. within Kelsterbach, thus complementing the existing public transport service. In addition to the familiar stops, additional virtual stops have been set up throughout the city to shorten the distances between the stops and the front door. If the passenger has a valid RMV ticket, the cost per ride is 1.00 euro, without a RMV ticket 3.35 euros. Payment is conveniently made digitally via the app. There are up to four electric vehicles of the Mercedes type eVito Tourer PRO on the road. One vehicle will be converted for barrier-free use in the coming months. Until October 3, 2022, the new offer can be tested free of charge from noon to 8 p.m. using the voucher code SiGGi.
The «SiGGi operation» is ensured by VerkehrsService GmbH Groß-Gerau (VSGG). As the responsible transport company, VSGG is already operates bus lines 72 and 74 in Kelsterbach and will in future combine the responsibilities and personnel challenges of the on- demand shuttle with the operational possibilities of the existing public transport system.
