At night when everything is asleep - the OVB workshop is a hive of activity

The small team of one mechanic and several cleaners, barely more than five people, has to work fast. It's rush hour at Offenbacher Verkehrs-Betriebe shortly after they start work. Between 6.15 p.m. and 9 p.m., the next bus arrives at the large workshop in Hebestrasse every seven to ten minutes. Drivers give Uwe Brand (59), a mechanic for buses, a short written report and report any abnormalities or defects before they and their vehicles finish work.

Work then begins for the night shift team. And it has to be done quickly, especially during the peak period when many routes come to an end. Uwe Brand then has to decide within a few minutes whether the vehicle can be serviced with a few simple steps or whether it has to be removed from service for safety reasons.

If there is more to be done than replacing a headlight bulb or a seat cushion, for example, the vehicle is moved to a separate parking space next door and repaired by his colleagues the next day.

Much of the evening diagnosis is of course routine. Drivers and mechanics alike know the weak points of their buses quite well. Uwe Brand's job is to check the driver's reports, carry out minor repairs himself and check the cleaning work. The shift lasts until shortly after 2 o'clock. By then, as many vehicles as possible have to be ready to go again. Uwe Brand: "At least 54 of the 61 OVB buses must be ready for use again, otherwise it will be difficult to keep the service running the next day."

Not only the 61 vehicles of OVB and its subsidiary Main Mobil Offenbach (MMO) are serviced in Hebestraße, but also the nine buses of a subcontracted company. In addition to the evening check, there are precisely defined intervals for this. Every three months, according to Eberhard Werth, Technical Manager at OVB, a safety check is carried out on every bus. And every twelve months, a comprehensive inspection of the vehicle and the units as well as a general inspection (by the TÜV) are carried out.

Uwe Brand is the only mechanic on duty at night and is solely responsible for the entire night shift. He alternates with four of his 26 workshop colleagues. He has been working for the municipal utility company for 25 years. His worst night? "Once a bus had just been checked through, filled up with fuel and cleaned, but then wouldn't start and blocked the hall, causing a traffic jam at the back. That was pure stress."

Even without the stress, the job is exhausting. The mechanic once measured that he covers up to twelve kilometers on his evening tours between the vehicles parked in different halls.

Buses that are ready for use the next day are lined up and parked in the hall. Finally, the control center, which is also manned day and night, receives a parking plan from the workshop, according to which it can allocate the vehicles for the morning departure.

OVB mechanics don't have to do everything themselves. Partner companies are on hand for evening field work: a tire supplier provides breakdown assistance and a towing service brings a damaged vehicle back to the OVB workshop.

Colleagues from the cleaning company lend a hand with certain maintenance work such as topping up operating fluids, from diesel fuel and coolant to windscreen washer fluid.

The five or so employees of the Sasse service provider also follow clearly defined intervals in their work. Once a week, each bus is driven through the internal washing facility, which can also be used in winter. Inside, each vehicle is swept and wiped down daily. Helge Martienssen and his predominantly male colleagues also clean the driver's workplace and all the handrails and empty the waste bins.

The windshield and side windows in the driver's area are also cleaned weekly, and all windows are cleaned from the inside every month. In addition, all upholstery is vacuumed and cleaned every three months. The 45-year-old facility manager has also been with the company for a long time and has almost 20 years of experience. "The effort required per vehicle varies and can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the degree of soiling."

Vandalism is not a major issue thanks to the video surveillance on the buses. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to do, including removing chewing gum, stickers and graffiti and, of course, picking up newspapers and cans. Or even leftover food such as sandwiches, which some schoolchildren leave behind on the bus. Helge Martienssen: "There is obviously still a lack of values."

However, cleaning the inside of a vehicle can also be quite unappetizing, for example when various waste, from animal and human excrement to used toiletries, has to be removed.

Fortunately, emptying the waste garbage cans in OVB's modern vehicles is no longer so unpleasant for the cleaning team. The base of the bins can be opened and the waste collected in a bag. In the past, the bins had to be emptied by hand, recalls Eberhard Werth. Reaching into the bin could be dangerous, for example if there were syringes inside.

It's 2.15 a.m., the end of the shift for the night team. The "brownies" go to sleep and the lights go out in the vehicle depot. Not for long. Less than two hours later, the first bus leaves the depot. Freshly cleaned, fully fueled and technically checked. The first passengers are already waiting at the bus stop.

11.08.2017