BUS2Talk: Buses are the most flexible mode of transport

Henning Rehbaum practically grew up with buses. The CDU member for the district of Warendorf ran the family business for ten years and sat behind the wheel himself. In his role as a politician, he established the parliamentary Bus group of the Bundestag’s transport committee in order to place a greater focus on bus travel in transport policy debates. The non-partisan committee regularly invites practicians to discuss topics such as alternative drive systems, express buses and the shortage of skilled labour.

In an interview with BUS2BUS director Kerstin Kube-Erkens and mobility expert Don Dahlmann in the podcast studio at InnoTrans, Henning Rehbaum said the commitment to rail had led to buses becoming secondary in importance as a transport alternative. Yet they accounted for 38 per cent of local transport, were flexible, fast and eco-friendly. Providing bus routes for new residential areas was easy, required no significant infrastructure, and could occur whenever timetables were due for renewal. At the same time buses were competing for road space with cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Bus and merge lanes at traffic lights could solve this problem, he said. It was important to take a fresh look at each situation and implement solutions without ideological bias.

Only then could buses make an important contribution to achieving climate targets and reducing local emissions such as particulates. Attractive public transport services could also convince car drivers to switch over. “And then we really will have done something for the climate“, the politician said. However, reliable funding was needed in order to procure vehicles, as the industry would be unable to manage the transition to emissions-free public transport on its own. Without assistance, converting depots and workshops to electric bus usage in particular presented a virtually insurmountable financial burden. This was where policymakers were called upon to act.

On the subject of designing an attractive public transport bus or providing better rural transport links, Henning Rehbaum’s focus was on synergies. He pointed to smooth-running partnerships with taxi companies, for example. Ultimately, the solution was a system with multiple modes of transport that also integrated private transport and provided good transport links. A simple ticket system was part of that too.

Asked about how to combat the skills shortage, Henning Rehbaum said “we have to make driving buses attractive.“ Incorporating fixed work schedules could then make the job desirable for many. Policymakers could help by combining driving lessons with professional driver qualifications, making training more efficient overall.