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Our contribution to sustainable mobility
There are several million traffic movements in the region on a normal weekday. Without well-functioning local public transport, the result would be endless traffic jams. Many public players and private transport companies contribute to the success of smooth local public transport in the Stuttgart Region. The Verband Region Stuttgart is responsible for the S-Bahn in the region and is also the largest shareholder on the side of the public transport authority Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart (VVS).
The VVS ensures easy access to public transport in the Stuttgart region with a uniform network fare on all buses and trains. Since 2021, the district of Göppingen - and therefore the entire region - has also been part of the VVS network area. The joint fare system enables the use of public transport with just one ticket according to a coordinated timetable and at a transparent price system, no matter how often the means of transport is changed.
Through its contribution to the VVS and the suburban trains in the region, the Verband Region Stuttgart is making an active contribution to sustainable mobility.
Financing
This active contribution also includes responsibility for funding. Given the wealth of different transport services and players that have to be brought under one roof, this is a highly complex undertaking. Only part of the costs are covered by fare revenue. Other funds come from regionalization funds from the federal and state governments as well as from the transport levy paid by the cities and municipalities in the region. In simple terms, these funds are invested by the Verband Region Stuttgart in three pillars of public transport via the transport budget:
- The Verband Region Stuttgart not only finances the ongoing operation of the S-Bahn, but also provides urgently needed infrastructural investments. From the purchase of new trains to increase rail capacity to the expansion of the route network. In 2023 alone, over 150 million euros have been made available in the budget for ongoing operations. In this respect, the Verband Region Stuttgart has recently managed a mammoth project, particularly with the procurement of 58 new trains. Over 400 million euros were invested, of which around 300 million euros were initially provided by the Verband Region Stuttgart in the form of own funds and loans. In addition, the Verband Region Stuttgart is spending on important S-Bahn extensions, such as the Relex express bus.
- No matter which provider runs a bus from A to B, and no matter through which districts of the region you are transported: The VVS ticket is valid everywhere. What is convenient and important for the passenger at first glance must be clearly regulated in the background through compensation payments and redistribution. As the main payer of the so-called Verbundstufe II, i.e. the financing of the VVS standard tariff in the Stuttgart region, the Verband Region Stuttgart makes an important contribution to regional bus services. On the one hand in the organizational area, but also financially. In 2023 alone, the Verband Region Stuttgart will contribute a total of around 35 million euros to compensate for the financial disadvantages of bus companies that arise when a passenger can travel on all buses and trains in the VVS area with just one ticket. We are talking about so-called through-fare losses. These processes are regulated by the "General Regulations".
General regulation
The "General Regulation" has been in force since the beginning of 2015 and is gradually replacing over 150 agreements as well as the 40 or so individual contracts between the Verband Region Stuttgart, the bus companies and the VVS districts.
The Verband Region Stuttgart distributes the ticket revenue from the VVS pot and uses public funds to compensate bus companies for financial disadvantages that arise when a passenger only buys a ticket once to travel on all buses and trains in the VVS area,
Since 2021, bus companies in the district of Göppingen have also received their share of revenue from this compensation pot. As part of its support for mergers, the state, represented by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport, is supporting the region in integrating the district of Göppingen into the VVS with a total of €8,184,000 over a period of ten years to compensate for tariff-related burdens.
All in all, this amounts to almost 100 million euros, the majority of which comes from VVS ticket revenues. This corresponds to around two thirds of the costs of bus transportation in the region's districts. The distribution of fare revenue and subsidies from the Verband Region Stuttgart for the recognition of the VVS fare is based on transport performance - 70 percent on the number of passengers transported and 30 percent on the distance covered by these passengers. In addition, the bus companies receive a revenue share for ticket sales. It is important to note that only the money that is actually collected by the VVS is distributed.
To participate in this procedure, the companies must meet various requirements. For example, ticket checks must be carried out to a specified extent and canceled journeys must be reported. In order to reliably determine passenger numbers for revenue distribution, a certain proportion of the bus fleet must be equipped with automatic passenger counting systems. The procurement and operation of these systems is flanked by an independent regional funding program. In addition to the requirements of the general regulation, the Verband Region Stuttgart also commissions a central inspection service for comprehensive ticket inspections at all transport companies.
By concentrating on the application of the VVS fare, including revenue sharing in the network level II, the general regulation ensures clear responsibilities between the region, districts and municipalities. The region limits itself to financing the VVS fare applied in buses, i.e. to its legal obligation to ensure the integration of the network. The payments it makes are intended to contribute to cost-effective, cost-covering operation. Counties and cities bear the costs of ordering and operating bus services, with the exception of regional express buses.
Statutes General regulation for PDF download
- If you want to improve, you have to think outside the box. The Verband Region Stuttgart not only finances existing transport systems, but also participates in the development of new, innovative projects. Whether regional mobility points, a regional mobility center or the further development of P+R areas. The Verband Region Stuttgart has made almost seven million euros available for mobility management in the 2023 budget alone.
