Experience integrated mobility

An elderly lady peers through the window with a sad look on her face. The screen goes dark. “Whenever I need a doctor I have to take a taxi. I have barely anything left of my pension”, says a voice which could be hers. “Daddy, I missed the bus”, says a child’s voice. “It was the last one and it’s pitch black outside. Can you pick me up?” For about two minutes different voices can be heard describing the problems of rural public transport.

“It’s always interesting to see people’s reactions to this stream of voices and watch them nod approval. These are problems everyone has encountered“, says Ralf Droste, senior communications manager, DB Straße. In another section of DB Regio’s converted public transport bus bearing the slogan ’Think about it. Integrated mobility“, a way forward is being presented. Trade visitors delve into the life of a 40 year-old woman who manages travelling to work using regular public transport intelligently combined with flexible on-demand services.

Experiencing is believing

VR goggles help blend imaginary and real worlds. A croissant on the kitchen table, a smartphone indicating the driver of an on-demand service is in front of the door, calmly boarding a local train, looking out of the window and boarding another connecting bus and finally arriving at work – it suddenly all seems possible and no longer as complicated as imagined. Whereas the experience in the first room triggers sympathy, understanding and a little sadness, the second suggests effortlessness, relaxation and the desire for this scenario to become reality. “Integrated mobility is definitely a product that needs explaining. Public transport buses have been a regular feature for decades, and now we are talking about on-demand app-controlled mobility. That is hard to imagine. It helps to believe it by experiencing it”, says Ralf Droste.

The purpose of Deutsche Bahn’s roadshow bus is to secure operators for integrated public transport. “We want to present this vision to people and policymakers“, Droste says. DB Regio’s aim is to make public transport even more attractive and persuade even more people to switch to eco-friendly transport.