Especially in rural areas, citizen buses are an indispensable connection to other places for many people. The SPD opposition wants to know from the North Rhine-Westphalia government how financing can be secured in the face of dramatic price increases.
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – Around 3,700 volunteer drivers of so-called citizen buses ensure mobility in North Rhine-Westphalia where public offers are not available or not sufficiently available. Nationwide, around 8,700 members are involved in almost 150 citizens’ bus associations, replied NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens) to a request from the SPD parliamentary group. The state government attaches great importance to this commitment and supports such projects on numerous levels, he assured.
In their coalition agreement, the CDU and the Greens have pledged to support “the municipalities in expanding bus, citizen bus and on-demand services”. “There are no further references to specific help, for example with the acquisition costs of vehicles or replacement purchases,” said SPD MP Gordan Dudas in his request to the state government.
“It is therefore unclear how the dramatic price increases of recent years and especially since the pandemic and the Ukraine war should be taken into account.” Especially in rural areas, where there are few bus or train lines and unattractive frequency, citizens’ buses make “an enormously important contribution to local mobility offers,” emphasized the SPD politician.
The state supports the initial and replacement procurement of a citizen bus vehicle with up to 84,000 euros and with an annual organizational fee of up to 7,500 euros for the clubs, Krischer said. In addition, advisory services would be supported. The state government is keeping an eye on increased acquisition costs, longer delivery times and increased energy and operating costs. However, a solution for the entire local public transport system had to be found for this problem.
