Deutsche Post and Europe’s largest automobile club ADAC will launch long-distance coach servicesin Germany on November 1, 2013, under the ‘ADAC Postbus’ name.
The two organisations agreed on Friday (May 10) to set up a 50-50 joint subsidiary for the newbusiness venture, which needs to be approved by the German antitrust authorities. Target passengeror revenue figures for the new passenger travel business have not been disclosed.
“We want the ADAC Postbus to become the coach for Germany,” Jürgen Gerdes, head of Deutsche PostDHL’s mail and parcel division, said. “Whether you are a student, pensioner, tourist or commuter,whether you are single or have a family, we intend to be there for everyone and offer acost-effective, safe and comfortable trip.”
Deutsche Post spokesman Alexander Edenhofer told CEP-Research: “We see very good opportunitiesin this new developing market. Both companies are big transport and mobility providers in Germanyand ideal partners whose competences are complementary. Deutsche Post contributes its expertise inlogistics and network planning while ADAC ensures road safety.”
The yellow-coloured coaches will start operating several intercity connections in Germanyincluding the following routes: Cologne-Bonn-Frankfurt-Stuttgart-Munich, Bremen-Hamburg-Berlin,Cologne-Dortmund-Hannover, Berlin-Leipzig-Dresden and Frankfurt-Nuremberg-Munich. Initially,experienced small and medium-sized bus companies will act as service partners for the ADACPostbus.
The intercity network will be gradually expanded to connect approximately thirty of the largestcities in Germany with around sixty buses by early 2014. The decision about further expanding thenetwork will be made in the summer of 2014, Deutsche Post said. In the long term, Deutsche Post andADAC want to establish a nationwide network with 300 coaches connecting all German cities with morethan 200,000 citizens, according to German media.
“We will kick off with a brand-new coach fleet that meets the highest safety requirements.Moreover, we will offer very good service and a comfortable travel experience that customers canrely on as well as very good value for money,” Edenhofer said.
Tickets will be available from October 2013 on the internet and at some 5,000 Deutsche Postretail outlets and ADAC business locations close to the cities served. They will be reportedlycheaper than the half-price train tickets offered by Deutsche Bahn through its 50% discount card. “We see a further advantage to competitors in our excellent sales network including post offices,ADAC branches and the internet. This will make it easy for our passengers to buy tickets,”Edenhofer added.
Peter Meyer, president of ADAC, commented: “Our goal for the ADAC Postbus is to promote theindividual mobility of citizens and position ourselves as an attractive alternative to trains,planes and automobiles. I am pleased that two such strong brands as ADAC and Deutsche Post can takethis joint step together.”
The German market for long-distance passenger transportation by coach was fully liberalised on 1January 2013 to allow private operators to offer routes between German cities. Previously,long-distance coach services were only permitted on routes not served by Deutsche Bahn trainservices under a long-standing law designed to protect public train services.
