Context:
Three experts from Partner 7 Central Transdanubian Region visited Brandenburg (Germany) to learn more about the “KombiBus”- Project. A unique pilot project on how existing public transport capacity in rural areas can be utilized for other services. In this project the scheduled service buses for passenger transport are used as well for the transport of goods, by using the anyway existing luggage space. It is a possibility to stabilise the public transport service in rural areas (additional financing options and a possibility to extend the service during off-peak hours). For more information and contact details on this Good Practice 1.1, please have a look on our MOG website.
Content of the visit:
On the way to the County Uckermark (location of the good practice), the idea and the frame of the project have been explained by the project manager Mrs. Anja Sylvester of the company Interlink gmbH, which is contracted by the county to organise and supervise the project.
The first station of the bilateral visit has been Prenzlau, the place of the responsible carrier for public transport in the county. The Director of the carrier the (Uckermärkische Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH), Mr. Lars Boehme explained the intention and benefits of the project for the carrier and pointed out the most important aspects (good communication, clear and simple structure, time and cost advantage for customers) followed by a discussion on this topic.
The next station was a visit of the first client of the Kombibus – a local cheese dairy – where an insight of the advantages of this system from a regional producer’s point of view have been given.
The following topics have been central in the discussion: the possibility to send as well small amounts, the flexibility, the reliability, and the fast delivery. Additionally the plans to extend the project to reach the huge Berlin market are seen as very positive and as an additional driver.
The last stop has been the tourism association Uckerseen, where Petra Buchholz from the management explained how the tourism benefits by the Kombibus, especially by the cooperation of hotels and the Kombibus by delivering luggage. She highlighted as well the aspect that due to the possibilities of Kombibus, the tourism association started selling regional products to tourists (although very sceptical in the beginning, this runs very well), with a very positive side effect that even locals have started buying these products: this is now more and more a contribution to the regional local supply.
The bilateral visit ended with a picnic with regional specialities, supplied by Kombibus.
Transferability of the Good Practice:
The impressions of the visiting partners were very good. They got the professional point of view and the consumers one as well. It was very interesting that the service tried to expand in the region and abroad.
For partner 7, Central Transdanubian Region, this GP is a well basis for the further work on the Village caretaker Service. The Hungarian service works as a social service which is caritative. The service gets grants from the government, but the operator should add own resources as well. The freight transport function could complement the existing services, and reduce the costs of municipalities. The Central Transdanubian Region has the infrastructural background, so a situation analysis with the potential consumers will have to be realised to ask them about their needs. But the idea, the method of the transfers and additional instruments are transferable.
There is a centralized transportation company in Hungary, but it has more subsidiaries. One idea could be to raise their interest, but it is very bureaucratic, and not so easy to influence them. The easiest way for transferability, would be to adopt some parts of the KombiBus at local level, as a pilot action: this is the solution taken so far by partner 7.
The main obstacles seen in the transferability of the Good Practice is to raise the interest of the consumers. The Central Transdanubian Region will try to find the best way to raise their interest, determine the prices, build up a well-being logistic
