Twistringen: Citizens' bus shortly before the start - stops approved!

Twistringen: Citizens' bus shortly before the start - stops approved!

In Twistringen there are exciting news about the citizens' bus project: The planned stops have now undergone the required safety tests and receive green light. This development is another step towards reliable local public transport, which will soon be available for citizens. Nevertheless, there are some hurdles that the Bürgerbusverein still has to overcome, especially with regard to its formal entry.

The bus stops checked on Tuesday when a team of representatives of the city, the police and the Zweckverband Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Lower Saxony (ZVBN) inspected the locations together. "Most stops are already available and harmless," said Lydia Geerken, who is responsible for urban development. Your explanations emphasize that it is mainly ten new stops that are to be built. Security aspects such as barrier -free access and safe exit options were in the foreground of the inspection.

challenges when founding the association

On the other hand, the Bürgerbusverein has not yet been officially registered, which means for its chairman Uwe Morawski problem. "It all stops," says Morawski frustrated about the waiting time of four months at the responsible district court in Walsrode. Without the registration as an association, the group cannot apply for funding, but are absolutely necessary to finance the operation of the citizens' bus.

lydia Geerken further explains that the entry is a prerequisite for obtaining funding. The Lower Saxony Landesverkehrsgesellschaft (LNVG) needs this consent to issue a grant notice that is quite relevant for a taxi bus project. Up to 100,000 euros in funding could flow. The grant for the operating costs would be 75 percent.

The registration of the association could now be completed in the coming weeks, since some important documents are still missing. "We are still waiting for the final network plan," explains Geerken. This could take the starting signal for the citizens' bus in Twistringen in the first quarter of 2025.

Preparations for the citizens' bus are already taking shapes. Several offers had to be obtained for the purchase of the vehicle, with the decision on a cheaper model of the Mercedes brand. This collaboration with Borcher's travel is important because the bus can be parked on its premises and can also be refueled. The Borchers workshop is geared towards Mercedes vehicles, which is an advantage for maintenance.

Another positive point is that the municipality has already found 20 volunteer drivers. However, Geerken is looking for additional helpers to broaden the range of services. Interested parties are encouraged to contact her.

The Bürgerbus website is currently under construction and is to go online as soon as the association is entered. This could help to make the project even more transparent and inform the citizens about news.

Overall, the progress curve shows both positive developments and challenges when planning the citizens' bus in Twistringen. The participants continue to work up to make the last hurdles to bring the citizens' bus to life. For more information on the current situation and developments, we recommend a look at the reporting of www.kreiszeitung.de .