Even if the pandemic situation comes to an end, the mask requirement should remain in public transport - until Easter.
DB Regional Manager Jörg Sandvoss pleads for this.
Frankfurt - The regional boss of Deutsche Bahn * Jörg Sandvoss hopes that mask regulations in local public transport will continue to exist in the winter season.
"The masks are worn consistently," he told the German Press Agency at a local public transport industry meeting in Frankfurt *.
In the summer of 2020 there was an even bigger problem with mask refusers in large cities.
"That is gone.
The acceptance of the masks is extremely high.
That is why it is important for us, if the pandemic situation comes to an end, that there are at least regulations that we maintain the mask requirement in public transport in the winter season until Easter at".
The Federal Ministry of Transport agrees with this assessment.
A spokesman said on Friday (October 29, 2021) in Berlin that the lifting of the mask requirement in local public transport would be "completely counterproductive".
“After trains and buses were largely empty for months, passengers are slowly regaining their trust in public transport.
This trust must not be jeopardized now. "
Corona in Hessen: Deutsche Bahn (DB) wants to maintain mask requirements in local transport
Sandvoss sees the return of confidence in being able to use local public transport despite the ongoing pandemic.
"We are now at a level of 70, in some cases 80 percent of the pre-Corona period." In rural areas it is a little less, while in cities there is sometimes more than 80 percent of the passenger volume.
"We have invested a lot in additional hygiene and safety," emphasized the DB regional boss.
But the return of passengers is not only reflected in the number of Deutsche Bahn commuters.
"On the weekends we are almost back to the level of before Corona." In local traffic, significantly more excursion and leisure traffic is recorded.
"During Corona *, people noticed: It is beautiful in the Odenwald, on the Mecklenburg Lake District and in the Bavarian Forest," said Sandvoss.
"What we are still missing at the moment are the passengers to the football games, Christmas markets, Oktoberfest - for us these are always major battle days, on which everything rolls that is there."
also read
Hamburg's corona incidence climbs to 70.9: three dead
Hamburg's corona incidence has exceeded 70 again.
For the health authority, however, it is no longer the decisive factor.
Meanwhile, Hamburg is starting the second weekend, when dancing and partying in 2G bars without a mask is allowed.
Hamburg's corona incidence climbs to 70.9: three dead
Personnel problems at arbitration boards in small municipalities
Trouble with barking dogs and party noise: Arbitration boards can be a good address for an out-of-court settlement.
However, they are often little known.
Personnel problems at arbitration boards in small municipalities
Master plan for Hamburg's financial sector signed
Hamburg is considered a financial center with a long tradition and has the oldest stock exchange in continental Europe.
And yet things are no longer running smoothly, and more and more jobs are being lost.
A master plan should now turn everything for the better.
Master plan for Hamburg's financial sector signed
DB-Regio in Hessen: Local traffic is to be improved especially in the "last mile"
Together with the transport associations, it should be checked in the coming months "whether we are not increasing the weekend traffic in some places," said Sandvoss.
"At the Stuttgart S-Bahn, for example, we will be increasing the offer to every 15 minutes on Saturdays from mid-December."
A challenge to create the traffic turnaround are offers in rural areas, especially in view of increased mobility. “That's why we need a big step in the last mile as well.” The connection to public transport “on the doorstep” should be made easier and better. "It's easy in the big city, but it gets more difficult in the Odenwald," said the DB regional boss. "So the question is, how do I get the regional express or S-Bahn to the people and vice versa?"
A solution is seen in integrated mobility to create flexible feeders to the existing bus and train lines.
"We at Deutsche Bahn decided a few years ago to invest in this new form of mobility, for example in our bus sector," said Sandvoss.
"Now that the older generation of 70 plus is good at using the cell phone, we have a real chance to offer integrated mobility with solutions consisting of small vehicles plus app control." (Dpa)
* fnp.de is an offer from IPPEN .MEDIA.
Unrepentant train passengers and discussions about masks in the corona pandemic: The violence against employees of Deutsche Bahn (DB) is increasing.
