As announced, the BVG will limit the range of bus services after the summer holidays. The company announced two weeks ago that three percent of the trips will be canceled until further notice. Now the lines are set in detail where the beat is thinned out. Trams and subways are not affected and will run according to regular timetables. School trips are not reduced either.
According to the BVG, the background is the increased sick leave caused by Corona and “the tense labor market situation”. To put it more briefly: The BVG can no longer find enough drivers, this applies to all transport companies nationwide. The restrictions have been approved by the traffic administration. When normal operation is possible again remains open. “As soon as possible,” said the BVG.
It should be at least a few months, since thinning could not start until October. The thinning of the 100 bus from October 8th has so far been “optional”, it said. Ten of Berlin’s 18 metro lines (M27, M36, M41, M43, M44, M45, M46, M76, M77 and M82), 3 express lines (X7, X33 and X83) and 17 normal bus lines will be thinned out starting next Monday.
The X76 metro line only runs between Lichtenrade and Mariendorf underground station, the section from Mariendorf underground station to Walther-Schreiber-Platz is completely eliminated. On September 19, there will be a thinning of the clock on line 186.
The cuts were made on routes where there is a parallel service, e.g. when an express line and a “normal” line operate on the same section. The BVG promises that all stops and all sections of the network will continue to be served. In addition, “the largest possible buses” are to be used on the affected lines.
The reductions will probably be fed into the digital information from Thursday. Only then can passengers plan their journey. The posted timetables at the bus stops will be exchanged as quickly as possible. “Due to the great logistical effort, it can take until the end of August/beginning of September for the last paper timetable to be exchanged,” it said.
