Hopper in the Offenbach district: Success story with over 1 million passengers!

Hopper in the Offenbach district: Success story with over 1 million passengers!

The Hopper, an on-demand small bus of the Offenbach district, has enjoyed growing popularity since its start in 2019. It was originally introduced as a pilot project in Seligenstadt, Hainburg and Mainhausen and has now established itself as an important part of local mobility offers. Currently, 73 vehicles are in use in 13 cities and municipalities of the district, with more than a million passengers have already used this service, such as op-online.de

Andreas Maatz, managing director of the roundabout company (KVGOF), emphasizes that the use of the hopper has also increased during the Corona period. Of 1,000 respondents, about 25 percent use the hopper without their own car. Despite the positive development, there are challenges: Nationwide funding for the hopper expires on December 31, 2024. For 2025, financial support of around one million euros will be promised, which is less than half of the previous funding. The total cost of operating the hopper amounts to around 7.5 million euros, with an increased comfort surcharge from 1 euro to 1.50 euros from January 2025. The hopper is also financed via the district levy of the municipalities. The discussions about the continuation of the program beyond 2025 are underway, but decisions are still pending, so that a possible reduction in the offer by 15 to 20 percent from 2026, especially during night trips, cannot be excluded.

growing popularity and challenges

to clarify the success of the hopper, congratulated district administrator Oliver Quilling and district deputy Alexander Böhn the on-demand shuttle, which was able to welcome his millionth passenger. Böhn thanked the passengers to accept the offer in public transport, while Quilling emphasized the growing popularity of the hopper. Andrzej Kalinowski, a user from Mainhausen, reports that he has been using the hopper for his trips to work, purchases and in his free time for over four years. This offer represents the only nationwide on-demand traffic solution in a district in Hesse and is part of the "On-Demand mobility for the Frankfurt/Rheinmain region" of the RMV, such as kvgof-hopper.de explained.

The KVGOF has also found technical problems with the app and the service that have been improved since April 2024. Maatz emphasizes the importance of the hopper as an important general interest for the region. The plans for autonomous driving are also considered, although they are currently not in regular operation. A AI-based project (Kira) is currently running with six vehicles in the region, which shows positive results.