Did you know, Germany had no proper intercity buses till 2012. Sounds rather shocking, because even in many developing countries, inter city buses have been on roads for so long, functioning freely without any opposition. Why was the private bus/coach sector banned in Germany? We will find out in the following paragraphs.

How would you define an ideal conveyance? One that can provide a hassle free, less strenuous and decently comfortable movement from one junction to the other. What if some other free facilities get added to the above mode of transport? Welcome to the world of newer and brighter intercity buses and coaches which have hit the roads, and are all set to woo the prospective travellers with some surprising facilities like- free Wi-Fi, comfortable seats and sometimes even serving free beverages to ensure that your journey is truly relaxing and thoroughly satisfying. The best part however is, the cheap cost of travelling which is the main USP ( Unique Selling Proposition) of the rising demand of such buses over other modes of public transport. One can say, the bus market in Germany has finally started flourishing as more and more providers for long-distance bus services have come up nationwide.

But why has the limelight suddenly shifted to these buses? Just because they are vibrant in colour and services, thus, capturing the attention of the commuters, seems an unsatisfactory answer. To begin with, plenitude of private intercity buses had been striving to gain entry into the market since a long time, but in order to secure the prerogative of the railway company Deutsche Bahn, the government kept the noose tightened around the private buses. Therefore, until the end of 2012, the coach services were kept minimal. But then in Jan 2013, a revolutionary decision was taken regarding the liberalisation of the regional coach market. Ever since, the coach services were given a green signal, the competition between various operators has turned fierce due to the increased demand in the transport sector. In truth, the competition is but the survival of the best at nominal rates.

Initially, only a handful of long route bus services were permitted, and that too mostly the DB subsidiaries. But today, such restrictions have been lifted and any company can trade its services in the regional coach market for distances of at least 50 kilometers and the routes with the minimum of one hour between stops. Providers like- Mein Fernbus have created 25 long distance bus routes with 85 buses on its own in a span of just 14 months.

However, these private intercity buses are facing some tough challenges such as lack of support by local authorities. Most of these buses have no proper bus stops or covered bus shelters due to the deliberate negligence on the part of municipality which fails to recognise the potential of these bus services. In other words, the municipality offers strict resistance to the private bus companies. Despite the limitations, the success rate of the newly approved sector is phenomenal.

According to the latest transport ministry statistics, due to greater commuter demand, within one year the intercity bus links have nearly tripled to 221. In other words, the long distance inter city coach market has witnessed a speedy growth of 12.5% since its deregulation a year back. The analysts suggest that it is a thriving and a very dynamic upcoming market. The commuters are enamoured of the intercity buses which are sleek, comfy and cost about half the train fare. Technically, it can be said to be an arch rival of our pet cars. It is a good alternative to cars as it relieves you of driving stress and high petrol/diesel costs. These buses mostly attract the students and the elderly, who acknowledge the convenience of straight connections, which are missing in trains, where you have to frequently change trains hence, quite tiring and time consuming.

Unlike the conventional ones, these new buses operate on smart technology. The laudable feature about Germany is its constant experimentation and implementation of newer and refiner technological developments which are environmentally safer. Thereby, winning over the support of environmentalists. So these highly talked about bus companies routinely highlight and advertise their purpose of ' travel safe and save your environment'. With a relatively lower per passenger fuel consumption and Carbon footprint than any car journey, these buses are eco friendly.

The German Federal Ministry of Transport has voiced out that ' Consumers can now travel affordably and in an environmentally friendly way over long distances'. With another 40 routes waiting for government's 'go ahead' signal, the existing competitive market is turning ever challenging with each passing day. Some of the big players in the bus market are-

• The Eurolines- it is Europe's number one and longest pan European coach service brand. Eurolines services are actually low cost without any of the hidden booking extras that other transport operators mostly apply. It offers to its customers generous baggage allowance of upto 2 medium sized suitcases per adult along with a carry on hand luggage; all included in the ticket.

• Mein Fernbus- it has already driven nearly 30 green buses on eight long routes in 26 cities. After the lifting of ban on private intercity buses, Mein Fernbus is all set to launch even bigger number of its high quality buses on various routes.

   

• Der Fern Bus- gunstig, komfortable und umweltschonend. To it goes the credit of 30 national and 25 international bus lines.

   

• ADAC Post Bus- you can easily travel from Hannover- Hamburg just for Euro 9 or from Hamburg to Frankfurt, buy a ticket for only Euro 21.

   

• The Berlinlinienbus connects Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, Munich, Frankfurt and many other German cities. Its large route network currently consists of over 35 national and international long distance buses. Etc.

The ever ascending graph of the mobility granted by private bus and coach sector clearly indicates what new heights it can reach if allowed to operate unperturbed. In fact, the Berlin research institute, IGES, has formulated that in near future almost 10% of the total traffic on roads would comprise long distance coach services. In spite of the legislative hindrances and the monopoly of DB, private bus and coach sector is here to stay following its great demand and even greater supply....it has become a necessity now.

After all, necessity is nothing but a creation of mind....and the mind wants tension free living and commuting!