The city of Munich wants to set up a so-called on-call bus system. The mobility committee decided this on Wednesday, and now the full assembly of the city council has to approve it. Passengers should be able to order the fully electric on-demand buses using their phone or a smartphone app and specify their destination. A route should then be calculated in order to bundle several passengers. Initially, the minibuses will only operate in the evenings and at night.
The Munich Transport Company (MVG) project runs under the awkward abbreviation “MIJA” and is expected to start in the second half of 2025 with an initial 50 vehicles. The minibuses should run “according to the needs” of the passengers without a fixed timetable or route.
First, the MVG must “carry out the necessary tenders,” the city reported on Wednesday. The range will then be gradually expanded over four years and will ultimately include 100 vehicles. The aim of the on-call buses is to close a gap in the local transport system. According to the city council, the offer is particularly important for older people and people with disabilities. Setting up the “on-demand service” is expected to cost almost 50 million euros.
The service will initially be set up in the districts of Aubing-Lochhausen-Langwied, Allach-Untermenzing, Pasing-Obermenzing, Moosach, Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, Schwabing-West, Maxvorstadt, Schwanthalerhöhe, Ludwigsvorstadt, Isarvorstadt and Altstadt-Lehel. The fleet is expected to grow and serve additional parts of the city by the end of 2029, and the service will then also be available during the day. Part of the fleet will also be converted to make it handicapped accessible.
“It is one of the most innovative mobility projects in Munich for a long time,” said Second Mayor Dominik Krause (Greens) about the decision. This is particularly true for the outskirts of the city, where there are gaps in public transport during off-peak times. With the new offer, MVG managing director Ingo Wortmann wants to “attract target groups who currently do not or only rarely use local public transport and thus promote the transport transition in Munich”. The new mobility offer should be “further expanded in the future through the use of autonomous shuttles”. The booking of the vehicles will be integrated into the mobility app MVGO. Access will be possible approximately every 350 meters.