ioki shuttles: Extension in Hamburg - Expansion in the surrounding area

The on-demand shuttle service by DB subsidiary ioki in Hamburg will be extended, at least until the end of 2021. Since mid-2018, the call shuttles in the network of Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) have been enhancing public transport (ÖPNV) in Hamburg. The partners draw a positive conclusion. Over 400,000 passengers have used the individual shuttle service in the districts of Lurup, Osdorf, and Billbrook in the past two and a half years. The 20 almost emission-free plug-in hybrid shuttle vehicles of the LEVC TX type, with a motorized range extender and nearly 100 kilometers of electric range, transport passengers around the clock on flexible routes and have covered 1.4 million kilometers. Around 50 percent of the passengers had themselves brought to a larger public transport stop, mostly not alone but in shared rides. More than 85 percent of the passengers are also regular users. Additionally, the barrier-free on-demand transport also improves mobility for people in wheelchairs: 20,000 rides have been utilized here, according to the provider. 

“Innovative mobility offers like ioki Hamburg contribute to more people switching to public transport and foregoing their own car. We are pleased that we can continue to provide this flexible shuttle service to passengers in Lurup, Osdorf, and Billbrook,” explains Toralf Müller, Managing Director of VHH.

The service has established itself as a fixed part of public transport and makes an important contribution to climate protection. Over 250 tons of CO2 have already been saved with the environmentally friendly e-shuttles, adds Michael Barillère-Scholz, Managing Director of ioki.

The Hamburg model is intended to strengthen public transport in the surrounding areas in the future. As part of the funding project “RealLab HH,” ioki shuttle fleets will start in Ahrensburg, Stormarn, and Winsen in mid-December 2020. According to the provider, rural regions could also benefit from the on-demand service. The sustainable traffic concept relieves the roads and offers people a flexible and environmentally friendly mobility alternative to the car. Additionally, they benefit from better connections to Hamburg and the larger cities in the surrounding area, as the on-demand specialist further promotes.