DThe meaning of “Emil” was just right, and the Federal and State Transport Ministers in Berlin and Wiesbaden sent video messages respectively. Andreas Shure (CSU) praised “tomorrow’s mobility” and talked about the fact that smartphones are now becoming more important as personal mobility managers. Tarek Al-Wazir (Green Party) talked about the “heard and audible” progress of local public transportation in the country. In fact, this is an inaudible and smeltable improvement, because minibuses painted in yellow, white and green make emission-free and electric purring on the streets of Taunustina. The Taunusstein people decided on the name “Emir” in an investigation.
For the prototype, there is a large railway station with many celebrities opposite the central bus station in Taunusstein on Friday. The daily life of the minibus should start on Monday. The Taunussteiner on-demand shuttle can be ordered through the smartphone app, which will be integrated into the redesigned RMV app within a few weeks.
In this application, about 1,000 virtual minibus sites are designated in the urban area, and minibuses can control these sites as required. Virtual, because there are no waiting benches and no stop signs. Rather, it is a meeting point where passengers can board the bus. The app also provides the estimated time of arrival of the bus. If necessary, more passengers will be carried on the route to the desired destination. It can take up to six passengers. However, during the pandemic, their number was limited to four. No matter where a citizen lives in Taunusstein: the nearest station cannot be more than 150 meters away from his home. The waiting time should not exceed 15 minutes.
The “smart algorithm” should calculate the ideal route for multiple people and different destinations, and provide the route for the driver. The application was developed by the railway subsidiary IOKI. You can make cashless payments with the driver through the app or using credit and debit cards.
The first five buses (one of which is also a barrier-free bus) will be on the road in ten districts of Taunusstein from Monday to Thursday from 5.30 am to 10.30 pm. The service on Friday and Saturday does not end until 0.30 in the morning, and the service on Sunday runs from 8.30 in the morning to 10.30 in the evening. Anyone who does not have a valid Taunusstein weekly, monthly or annual pass will need to pay a base price of 1.50 Euro, an additional 1.50 Euro comfort surcharge and 15 cents per kilometer.A four-kilometer route should be calculated based on an example retail price 3.45 Euro fee.
Emil changes the comfortable bus
This should be enough to attract more drivers to use Emil from time to time. These vehicles are charged via a specially built charging infrastructure at the new park and ride facility in Bledenstadt in Taunusstein. Emil replaces the comfortable bus that has been operating in Taunusstein since 2003.
Knut Ringat, managing director of RMV, sees shuttle buses as a complement to existing public transportation services, not as competitors, even if minibuses can even book routes that are already running on ordinary buses. Lingat hopes to solve the “new passenger group” through a convenient quotation. A total of ten districts and municipalities in Hesse are connected to the on-demand system. Darmstadt (“HeinerLiner”) and Offenbach (“Hopper”) have already rushed ahead, and Frankfurt will follow closely behind with “Knut” in October. The federal government will support RMV with 27 million euros by 2024. By the end of the year, 1.8 million citizens will live in the catchment area of the shuttle bus, initially increasing to 100. There may be an increase of 50 more in 2022.
Thomas Brunke, managing director of Rheingau-Taunus-Verkehrsgesellschaft, also hopes that more citizens will leave their cars behind and take minibuses, which use renewable energy to generate electricity. Günter Döring (SPD), responsible for local transportation in the region, sees the Taunusstein project as a “blueprint for the entire region.” Ringat also believes that it can provide a comprehensive product range in a circle. People who don’t have a smartphone should also be able to use Emil. To be sure, orders can also be placed through old phones.
