Mobility turnaround

More and more Burgenlanders are using public transport

Presenting the public transport balance sheet: General Transport Coordinator Peter Zinggl, Transport Minister Heinrich Dorner and VBB Managing Director Wolfgang Werderits (from left).

(Bild: Carina Fenz)

The use of public transport is becoming increasingly popular among Burgenlanders. This is also due to the wide range of services on offer. This year alone, the VBB has already transported more than 1.1 million passengers.  

In the past, Burgenland has had a harder time than the rest of Austria when it comes to public transport services. This has changed with the launch of the state-owned transport company (VBB) in 2021. A comparison with the federal state of Vorarlberg, which has the second fewest inhabitants after Burgenland but is considered a pioneer in public transport, shows this. "Until 2022, ten million kilometers per year were travelled by bus in Burgenland. Today it's 15 million," says overall transport coordinator Peter Zinggl. In Ländle, on the other hand, 17 million kilometers are covered, despite a higher population.

Every Burgenlander is within 300 meters of a bus stop
This is due in no small part to the Burgenländische Anruf-Sammeltaxi (BAST), which was launched in southern Burgenland in 2023 and has been rolled out across the whole of Burgenland since 1 December. Every day, it enables people from all 171 municipalities to get to public transport within 300 meters. Whether as a feeder to scheduled buses, leisure trips or the commute to work - the BAST has become an integral part of public transport. This is also reflected in the passenger numbers. "Over 120,000 passengers have been counted since the start, with around 450 people using the shared call cab every day," said Provincial Councillor Heinrich Dorner.

This successful course in climate-friendly mobility, which is reflected not least in the excellent passenger numbers, is to be successfully continued in the coming years.

Landesrat Heinrich Dorner (SPÖ)

Regular services are similarly successful. "This year alone, around 1.1 million passengers traveled on VBB lines," says Dorner. The best example is the B14 line from Oberwart to Eisenstadt, which was voted the best line in the eastern region and is used by 4,000 passengers per week. Despite fierce criticism from the ÖVP and FPÖ, Dorner speaks of the "right path for Burgenland", which is considered a role model throughout Austria, "not least in Lower Austria, where models are being implemented that are strongly based on the BAST", emphasizes Dorner.

Flexible adaptation of the offer as a major advantage
VBB Managing Director Wolfgang Werderits also sees the great advantages of the service in the fact that the lines are operated by the company itself, making it possible to develop innovative services, run pilot services and make flexible adjustments - always geared towards the needs of the population. "This is precisely what makes the switch from car to public transport so attractive," says the provincial councillor.