The district of Oder-Spree has successfully completed the Europe-wide tendering process for the operation of local public transport. The previous partners, Busverkehr Oder-Spree GmbH (BOS) and MWM-Solutions GmbH (MWM), won the competition and will continue to be responsible for regional scheduled and on-demand transport until the end of 2028.
District Administrator Frank Steffen emphasized the importance of regional expertise:
"We continue to rely on strong regional players to ensure the mobility of our citizens. New passenger information and sales services are key building blocks for the local transport of the future."
BOS remains the operator of regular services
The district will continue to rely on the many years of experience of BOS for regular services on all 400 routes. In addition to meeting the qualitative and quantitative requirements, new demand-oriented mobility services are to be developed together with other regional transport companies.
The BOS is also committed to making passenger information and customer dialog more modern and service-oriented, ensuring substitute transport in the event of cancelled trips and stops and making ticket sales at the Fürstenwalde/Spree and Eisenhüttenstadt locations barrier-free. In the medium term, the switch to environmentally friendly drive technologies is planned, as is the further expansion of Wi-Fi services and cashless sales channels in the vehicles.
BOS Managing Director Holger Winter welcomed the decision:
"We are delighted that the Oder-Spree district continues to place its trust in Busverkehr Oder-Spree. This is a strong signal for the region and secures jobs. We want to meet the high quality standards with innovative concepts and offer our passengers the best possible services."
MWM continues on-demand transport with electric fleet
The "DALLI" on-demand transport service in Storkow (Mark), in the Scharmützelsee district and in parts of the Rietz-Neuendorf municipality will also continue until 2028. The previous operator MWM is completely converting the entire fleet to electric vehicles. Together with the district, the successful on-demand service is to be gradually expanded to other towns and municipalities. MWM also supports innovative technologies, including AI-based voice-assisted booking systems and the introduction of autonomous vehicles in regular operation.
MWM Managing Director Jannis Mossmann explains:
"We are delighted that our on-demand service has been so well received and that we are able to continue the service. I am particularly proud that our dedicated team in Storkow will remain in place. The award shows that even smaller companies with high motivation and quality standards can hold their own against the competition."
Looking to the future
With the planned adoption of the new local transport plan for the period 2026 to 2030, the mobility needs of the population are to be systematically recorded and compared with the commissioned services. Individual measures are then to be implemented promptly. At the same time, the district is already preparing a new Europe-wide competition procedure in which new providers will be sought for transport contracts that are expected to run for ten years until 2029. The Oder-Spree district is thus ensuring the reliable further development of modern, sustainable and citizen-oriented local transport.