New bus livery: "For everyone at the start"
16.11.2023 – Offenbach's city buses are more than just a means of transportation: they are a meeting place and reflect Offenbach's diverse society. This is now demonstrated by the new, colorful bus decals that have recently adorned one of the Stadtwerke's e-buses.
Various people are grouped around the slogan "For everyone at the start", representing social groups: For people of different ages, skin colors and religious affiliations.
"Our city is just as colorful as the passengers on Offenbach's city buses. There is room here for everyone who has a ticket," says Mayor and Head of Mobility Sabine Groß.
"We get everyone to their destination: we take schoolchildren to school with the booster trips, and we get working people to work reliably and in a climate-friendly way. We take people shopping in the city center, to pray in church or mosque and, with our weekend and late-night services, to parties or concerts and then safely back home again. This diversity is visible in the colorful livery," says Anja Georgi, Managing Director of Stadtwerke's Geschäftsfeld Mobilität. "And it's not just the passengers who are different, the same applies to our employees in the Geschäftsfeld Mobilität. They do their best every day to get all passengers safely to their destination."
Figures stand for groups of people
The stickers were designed by Offenbach-based agency U9 visuelle Allianz. "We deliberately opted for a somewhat more abstract graphic design in cheerful, bold colors. The figures on the bus deliberately have no faces, as they do not represent individuals but groups of people. Almost all passengers can recognize themselves in one of the figures," explains Suzanne Göttlinger from the Stadtwerke marketing team, who is responsible for the bus wrapping.
The bus graphics include a wheelchair user, an elderly lady with a cane and a mother with a baby carriage. For these groups and all other people with limited mobility, all Stadtwerke buses have a lowering system that allows the bus to be lowered sideways to kerb level. Boarding is then almost at ground level. The vehicles also have a ramp that can be folded out by the driver to make it even easier for people with walking aids, wheelchairs or baby carriages to board. There are wheelchair and baby carriage spaces in all vehicles. "We appeal to all passengers who are not dependent on these spaces to show consideration and keep this area free wherever possible," says Anja Georgi, Managing Director of Stadtwerke's Geschäftsfeld Mobilität. "If these spaces are free, it is also possible to take a bicycle on the bus, but wheelchairs, walking frames and baby carriages definitely have priority."
Mutual consideration for a pleasant driving experience
A person can be seen at the rear of the bus using the journey time to work and make phone calls. This is easily possible in the modern e-buses, as USB charging points ensure that the tablet and smartphone batteries are still playing along even after a long working day.
"With the colorful bus livery, we are also advocating mutual respect. If all passengers show consideration for each other and treat each other with openness and tolerance, everyone will have a pleasant travel experience," says Anja Georgi.