Traffic jams, full trains and overloaded cycle paths are annoying, but in an ADAC survey in German cities the positive assessments outweigh the negatives. Only one mode of transport received very poor marks.
According to an ADAC survey, residents and commuters are “overall satisfied” with local public transport in 13 of the 15 largest German cities. Exceptions are Duisburg and Cologne.
The ADAC said it gave good marks above all for the “density of stops, short distances when changing trains and signage at train stations and stations”. Cyclists and pedestrians are also mostly satisfied with mobility – only car drivers are mostly dissatisfied. However, compared to the ADAC mobility monitor from 2017, satisfaction has noticeably decreased in most cities.
Regional differences
For the “Mobile in the City” study, the ADAC surveyed more than 9,000 public transport customers, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in 15 large cities with more than half a million inhabitants. The best grades for mobility in one’s own city were in Dresden, followed at a distance by Leipzig, Munich and Nuremberg. Those surveyed in Duisburg and Cologne were predominantly dissatisfied.
“What is particularly striking is the consistently very negative assessment of the behavior of e-scooter users by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians,” wrote the authors of the study. The ADAC advised cities to ensure clear rules – for example, limiting the number of e-scooters and only allowing parking at designated stations. “The behavior of cyclists is also rated significantly negatively by drivers and pedestrians.”
Criticisms about buses and trains
According to ADAC, satisfaction levels were highest among public transport users and pedestrians. The main points of criticism for buses and trains were the lack of parking spaces at train stations, the information provided in the event of disruptions and the price-performance ratio.
Pedestrians particularly praised safe crossing options on roads and criticized the “reckless behavior of e-scooter drivers”. Cyclists particularly appreciated the direct routes. Drivers often criticized high parking fees and the problem of getting to their destination within a scheduled time due to traffic jams and construction sites.
Association calls for free WiFi at more train stations
One point of criticism from an expert perspective: the WiFi at the train stations. Deutsche Bahn (DB) has been offering free Wi-Fi at numerous train stations in Germany for around three and a half years – but from the perspective of the Allianz pro Schiene interest group, the group is not making fast enough progress. The association said there are still major regional differences in the equipment available at train stations.
The Pro-Rail Alliance evaluated information from a request from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in November. Accordingly, passengers can only surf the group’s free WiFi network at around every ninth DB station nationwide.
In nine out of 16 federal states, not even five percent of the train stations belonging to Deutsche Bahn have a corresponding service. In four others the proportion is only between five and ten percent. Only in Hesse (70 percent), Schleswig-Holstein (74 percent) and Hamburg (90 percent) is the technical equipment of the train stations significantly better.
“The fact that Wi-Fi at train stations will continue to be looked for like a needle in a haystack in the majority of federal states in 2024 is not very contemporary,” said the managing director of the Pro-Rail Alliance, Dirk Flege. “Free Wi-Fi at train stations should actually be standard for travelers, especially to bridge longer waiting times.”
Source: Stern
