Hopper: On-Demand Shuttle Service With App in Offenbach District

About 300,000 passengers have flown since the start of the hopper project, which has been operating in parts of the county since 2019 Offenbach tested, opted for the trip with the “bus on order”. This can be brought almost to the front door with the help of an app. And there should be even more customers when the on-demand shuttle service, which is in high demand and has so far been rated comparatively well, can be called in all 13 municipalities in the district, which should be the case over the course of the summer.

With the area expansion announced by the beginning of July, which is to bring the electronically operated minibuses, each with space for seven people, to Dreieich, Neu-Isenburg, Dietzenbach and Rodgau, according to the Offenbach district public transport company (kvgOF), adjustments are required elsewhere. In the eastern district, where the Hopper success story began, the connections to Hanau Central Station and Klein-Auheim are discontinued. “The vehicles tie up long distances over a long period of time,” explained Andreas Maatz, Managing Director of kvgOF.

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• On call and without a driver to the destination

This in turn significantly limits the availability of the 40 minibuses currently available for other orders. Above all, the hopper is supposed to provide “fine access” in quarters, i.e. be used on short distances. For longer journeys, such as from Mainhausen to Hanau, the Odenwaldbahn is more recommended, and according to Maatz, its services will also be expanded.

Registered Hopper customers can use the app or, if necessary, by telephone to book their journey and, in return, will be given a boarding point near their current location. The price depends on the length of the route. If several customers have the same destination, the provider puts together a joint route that is suitable for everyone involved. From July 3rd, longer travel times will also apply in the district until late at night.