Public Transport à la carte: On-Demand "Kraftraum Shuttle" in Bergheim

The new service replaces the existing AST transport (call-collect taxi) and is operated by the district-owned transport company REVG Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH. In Bergheim, battery-electric and barrier-free minivans in modern vehicle design are used. The transportation of passengers with wheelchairs is made possible thanks to a special conversion of the vehicles.

On-demand transport (ODV) means that the shuttle does not run according to a fixed schedule and on a fixed route, but rather flexibly according to the needs of the passengers – essentially a public transport à la carte. The route is calculated by an intelligent background system. The Kraftraum shuttle is part of the existing public transport system and complements it when no bus or train is available. A special feature of ODV is ride pooling. Here, trips are sensibly combined when possible to reduce operating costs and avoid environmentally harmful empty trips.

Shuttle via App

At the start of the model project, booking of the Kraftraum-Shuttle Bergheim is done through the mobie app of the REVG. At a later date, the complete integration of the on-demand traffic into the information apps of VRS and REVG will occur. Thus, the start and destination can then be specified as usual and the apps will display the Kraftraum-Shuttle as part of the travel chain - for example, as a feeder to the train. Interested passengers can find more information about the booking process on the Kraftraum-Shuttle website www.kraftraum-shuttle.de.

The operational start of the Kraftraum-Shuttle in Bergheim is part of a joint project by the district town of Bergheim, the transport company REVG Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH, and the Rhein-Sieg Transport Association (VRS). The structural change project aims to create a public platform for on-demand transport by the end of 2025, which can be integrated into the existing information and booking systems and is multi-client capable. The Bergheim Kraftraum-Shuttle is the first "client" to be integrated on the Kraftraum-Shuttle platform. Other municipalities or companies in the Rhenish region can follow as clients.

"Finally, the Kraftraum-Shuttle in Bergheim can start! With the new offer, we can provide citizens with a modern, flexible, and locally emission-free on-demand transport. This is how we shape structural change on site!" said Mayor Volker Mießeler.

Flexible Mobility

Walter Reinarz, Managing Director of REVG, emphasizes: “The Kraftraum shuttle perfectly complements and makes the existing public transport services in Bergheim future-proof, as mobility today must be as flexible as the passengers themselves.”

“With the Kraftraum shuttle in Bergheim, we have created the first mandate of the future platform for on-demand transports, representing a milestone in the joint project,” says Dr. Norbert Reinkober, Managing Director of Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg.