Public transport crisis in Rendsburg: Bus convoy draws attention to concerns!

Public transport crisis in Rendsburg: Bus convoy draws attention to concerns!

The OVN action day took place in Rendsburg on Wednesday and was the focus of attention. The occasion was not only festive but also urgent. Around 50 public buses with posters crossed the city to draw attention to the tense financial conditions of public transport companies in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district and the surrounding area. This bus convoy made it clear that there is a need for action. The chairman of the Omnibus Verband Nord e.V., Klaus Schmidt, made it clear in clear terms that many companies are in existential difficulties, as annual deficits of four to five million euros are complained about across the country.

The situation is getting worse: a variety of factors are contributing to rail and road transport companies coming under pressure. In addition to the corona pandemic and high inflation, the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine are also being felt. These conditions not only undermine financial flexibility, but also concern passengers for whom prices have already been increased. “The fares are rising, and many people show no understanding for it,” reports an industry expert, which, according to the Future Mobility platform zukunft-mobilitaet.net, is also related to the uncertain future of public transport financing.

Action goal and demands

The central point of the day of action was the handover of clearly formulated demands to the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district. The OVN expects a rapid and sustainable restoration of performance and consideration. This is urgently necessary in order to maintain public transport, which is at risk not only in Rendsburg but throughout Germany. Nina Fiedler, the deputy district administrator and district director, showed understanding for the problems of the affected companies and their employees at the event.

Great attention is also paid to long-term transport contracts, which in many cases run for up to six years. These keep companies' hands tied while costs rise due to rising wages and improvements in working hours that are not fully reimbursed. Here the OVN is hoping for political support for the high demands of the ver.di union, which is necessary so that no company is left behind.

The role of bus companies

The bus companies affected are already working on optimizing their costs, but are confronted with an immense shortage of drivers and high expenses. Some companies finance ongoing student transport out of their own pockets, which only increases the precarious situation. The difficulties are not an isolated case, because according to dbregiobus-nord.de many transport providers are in a similar situation and are also fighting for their existence.

But what comes next? If the financial difficulties do not change, this could lead to the abandonment of regular and school transport. The OVN sees the need to take the increased costs into account in transport contracts, because the financing of local public transport is known to be complex and not very transparent.

“The quality and reliability of public transport are at risk,” said Schmidt. Meanwhile, fee increases are stagnating, which represents another problem for bus companies. The gap between costs and revenue is expected to continue to widen until the second half of 2025, raising alarm in the industry. The willingness to change and reform is therefore urgently required if public transport is to continue to be a reliable partner for people in cities and communities in the future.

The signals from Rendsburg are clear: Now is the right time to focus on the problems facing public transport companies and find solutions before it is too late.