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A 1950s post bus. Photo: DPA

Deutsche Post and ADAC plan bus network

Published: 15 Dec 12 11:15 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20121215-46787.html

Deutsche Post and motoring association ADAC are looking into launching a joint long-distance bus service as an 80 year-old law guaranteeing Deutsche Bahn a near monopoly on longer journeys is due to be lifted.

Deutsche Post and ADAC have announced a joint plan to roll out a fleet of new, possibly yellow buses in a couple of years, wrote Der Spiegel magazine on Friday.

The new nationwide long-distance network will be based around the two companies' existing branches and outlets across the country, where customers will be able to buy tickets and receive travel information, an ADAC spokesman told the magazine.

The announcement comes as the underdeveloped German bus travel market is due to be opened up on January 1, 2013 after nearly 80 years of restriction under German law.

Travelers can expect an explosion in new bus services next year, with the launch of two German start-ups DeinBus.de and MeinFernBus.de, which will be competing with French service Veolia and the English National Express bus company.

The Local/jlb

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

17:48 December 15, 2012 by ebbelwoiguy
All the best to them. The real scandal is how DB got away with three generations of a legally imposed monopoly.
18:02 December 15, 2012 by Englishted
@ ebbelwoiguy,

True but you should see what a mess the privatisation of British Railways became.

If this new service is going to do well I hope they invest in a newer fleet of buses than the one in the photo :-).
15:28 December 16, 2012 by Berlin fuer alles
Actually the one in the photo probably runs better than the current S-Bahn trains in Berlin. I hope the Deutsche Post employees don't rummage through our belongings when we are travelling as they do with our postal packages.
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