German Experiences with Volunteer-Based Paratransit and Public Transport
Paratransit: Shaping the Flexible Transport Future
ISBN: 978-1-78635-226-2, eISBN: 978-1-78635-225-5
Publication date: 28 September 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The chapter presents experiences of volunteers to organise and operate public transport services in Germany. A brief overview of the practical issues and a discussion of the possibilities and limitations is given.
Design/methodology/approach
The work is based on the author’s experience as a consultant and researcher in the field.
Findings
Approximately 250 Bürgerbus presently exist, mainly in rural areas where everyday operations are carried out by a group of volunteers. Service planning is done in partnership with local authorities and transport providers, and benefits from the volunteers’ local knowledge. The services use small vehicles and have a complementary function in the transport system. They primarily cater to local shopping and leisure journeys and, although available to the general public, are predominantly used by pensioners. In recent years, the original concept has evolved and a much greater variety can now be seen.
Social implications
Beyond providing mobility, the establishment of a Bürgerbus service is an important community achievement and contributes to social cohesion. Variations in the general popularity of volunteering can also be seen in the differing numbers of Bürgerbus schemes in the German regions.
Originality/value
Civic engagement is an important resource for community life, which can also be used for improving mobility. However, experience shows that the professional public transport industry and transport policy must understand the volunteers’ motivations, provide a suitable framework and support to develop concepts tailored to local needs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
This chapter is based on experiences the author has made over several years of working with ‘Bürgerbus’ initiatives and similar projects in Germany, first for the State Department of Transport of Rhineland-Palatinate (2009–2014) and since then for the Mobility Agency of Baden-Württemberg. The author is grateful to the many people who have provided information and inspiration during this time in the local authorities, administrations and civil society initiatives he talked to as well as the project team members, in particular Holger Jansen, for the inspiring and fruitful collaboration. Thanks are also due to Jürgen Burmeister for sharing his up-to-date list of Bürgerbus schemes, the other providers of illustrations as well as Roger Teal and Yngve Westerlund for encouraging the author to share his experiences with an international community. The anonymous reviewer’s comments on the first version were also helpful to improve the text. All comments and conclusions presented here remain the responsibility of the author.
Citation
Schiefelbusch, M. (2016), "German Experiences with Volunteer-Based Paratransit and Public Transport", Paratransit: Shaping the Flexible Transport Future (Transport and Sustainability, Vol. 8), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 77-102. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-994120160000008005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016 Emerald Group Publishing Limited