The Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) buses have not stopped directly at Marienplatz for eight years. Instead, the stop on line 52 was moved to the corner of Rosental and Rindermarkt. Since then, there have been repeated considerations for a bus shuttle that would shorten the distances in the center for people with limited mobility. In November 2020, the SPD and the Greens finally applied to examine such an offer.
This year, the city is testing two new modes of transport for the first time in order to open up the center. On the one hand, eight electric minibuses are to be rented, which can accommodate six to eight people. On the other hand, the mobility department wants to test e-rickshaws that are available on demand.
The offer is aimed primarily at people with limited mobility. Customers from city center shops who have bulky or heavy items to transport can also benefit from this. Overall, this should make the center more attractive, and the economic department also welcomes the plans.
The test run is scheduled to start in June and last 90 days. During this time the offer is free. The minibuses would not drive over Marienplatz and through Kaufingerstrasse or Neuhauser Strasse, but they would drive very close by: a ring line is planned between central points such as Sendlinger Tor, Sendlinger Strasse, Viktualienmarkt, Tal, Isartor, Maximilianstrasse and Maffeistrasse. The e-rickshaws are intended to offer flexible transport options within the old town ring that are tailored to individual needs.
The test should go like this: MVG should operate the bus. The plan is to use four vehicles at the same time, which allows for a ten-minute cycle. The mobility department cites the “Kavalir” in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana as a comparable example.
The operation of the e-rickshaws will be awarded through a tender. Four vehicles are planned plus at least one that is also suitable for people in wheelchairs. The rickshaws are expected to operate from 7 a.m. to midnight. For example, they can be booked online. Free rickshaws are expected to commute between Stachus and Odeonsplatz and can also be used without prior ordering or stopped with a hand signal.
If the offer proves successful in testing, it could soon be permanently introduced. “With this project we want to improve the accessibility of our pedestrian zone. The minibuses also enable people who are no longer able to walk so easily to visit the old town. For shopping, visiting the doctor or going out to eat,” says Mayor Dominik Krause (Greens). For him, the offer is a good example of how business concerns and improved mobility can be combined. The offer could remain free for people of a certain age in the future, said Krause. The city council’s mobility committee is scheduled to decide on the plans on February 21st.