"Public transport" in Burgenland

The Katona family shows how it can work

Public transport family from Dreihütten uses BAST and bus. The Katonas, son Philipp, mom Petra, daughter Alina and grandma Herta are fans of VBB's Burgenland public transport service.

(Bild: Schulter Christian)

Taking the bus instead of the car is out of the question for many people in rural areas. A family from Dreihütten has embarked on the "public transport" experiment and is delighted.

This year alone, more than 365,000 passengers have already traveled on the 120 bus routes operated by Verkehrsbetriebe Burgenland (VBB). In addition, around 43,5000 passengers have used the call-and-collect cab (BAST) in southern and central Burgenland in the past eight months - around 350 passengers per day. A success story for Governor Hans Peter Doskozil: "Hand in hand with private partners, we offer public transport in a way that the population needs it."

We can't say: 'Use public transport' and then the service isn't right. With the VBB, the state can respond much more specifically to the needs of commuters and react more flexibly.

Landeshauptmann Hans Peter Doskozil

Bild: Manfred Weis

Climate-friendly as an important argument
The Katona family from Dreihütten shows just how practical the use of public transport can be. Daughter Alina is one of over 2000 passengers a week who use the B14 line between Oberwart and Eisenstadt. The decisive factor for her is the environmental aspect. "Taking the bus is climate-friendly and with the climate ticket, it's cheap too," says the student. And her mother Petra, who uses the BAST despite having her own car, is reassured because "I know that my daughter will arrive safely."

Fast, cheap and independent
Grandma Herta is the biggest fan, however, as she is independent with the service. She uses it to go shopping, to the hairdresser, to the bank or to the doctor. "I call the day before and order the cab. That works really well. It's also very affordable with my pensioner ticket." And for 17-year-old Philipp, an apprentice at Becom in Hochstraß, public transport is the best, cheapest and quickest way to get to work.

BAST also operates in the Mattersburg district from July 1
From July 1, the BAST will also be extended to the district of Mattersburg. From then on, the population can also look forward to innovations in the existing areas. Service times will be extended from Monday to Friday to include Saturdays and Sundays. From 2025, the BAST will also cover the districts of Eisenstadt, Eisenstadt-Umgebung and Neusiedl am See.

Burgenland model as a role model for other federal states
The Burgenland model also serves as a role model for other federal states, according to the governor: "A similar call-and-collect cab has been tested in the Mostviertel region as part of a pilot phase. This is clear proof that we are on the right track. After all, call-and-collect cabs are tailor-made, especially in rural areas, to close gaps in the public transport network for the population."