Too few cooks and service staff in the catering trade, too few craftsmen in construction, too few nursing staff in the homes: why should a municipal bus company like Eswe Verkehr be spared the shortage of skilled workers?

Perhaps it is because the citizens have become accustomed to the now widespread shortage of staff that, according to Eswe-Verkehr Managing Director Jan Görnemann, "the great storm of indignation" in Wiesbaden due to the introduction of the Saturday timetable on weekdays and the cancellation of around 900 of the otherwise 3700 daily bus trips have failed.

Oliver Bock

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Rheingau-Taunus district and for Wiesbaden.

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The displeasure is nevertheless considerable, as the comments on social networks show.

But the people of Wiesbaden will have to get used to the fact that - as with all current crises - a quick return to normality is not to be expected.

Until the regular timetable change in December, the thinned-out offer will remain.

And the new timetable will have to be based on the drivers that will then be available and the demand on certain lines.

More is not possible.

A friend of clarity and transparency

Görnemann, who was appointed managing director in December last year and was originally only to be hired as a "fireman" for a short transitional period and will now lead the crisis-ridden company for a longer period, is not a fan of covering up unsatisfactory conditions with verbose smokescreens.

He appreciates clarity and transparency.

And he has fought for more "legroom" for the management in relation to the supervisory board of Eswe Verkehr.

The far too high sickness rates among the 750 drivers, the high fluctuation in staff and the difficulty of recruiting new employees limit Eswe Verkehr's range of services.

Görnemann also wants to return to the 61 million passengers carried in the record year 2019 “preferably tomorrow”.

But that's not realistic, and "the staff is the be-all and end-all," says Görnemann.

He is now forced to take the route of hiring drivers from temporary employment agencies.

And he concludes contracts with private bus companies that will let Eswe have drivers at certain times.

This will help fill some of the current gaps in the state capital's timetable offering.

But beyond the current crisis, Görnemann has to consider how he wants to align public transport in Wiesbaden in the long term.

Because such a strategy has so far been lacking.

From the point of view of the public transport manager, the rejection of a majority of voters in favor of the Citybahn is tragic for Wiesbaden because it means that a “unique opportunity” has been wasted.

Tragic, above all, because the considerable sums in the millions available for Wiesbaden from public funds are now flowing into other German transport infrastructure projects.

"These budgets are gone," says Görnemann.

The money will not come back, and for the next ten years "the issue is over".

"It's time to change"

The return of the tram was clearly identified as the preferred variant during the elaborate development of the mobility model for Wiesbaden.

"It's time to change" was the title of this mission statement in 2019.

But how should private and public transport in Wiesbaden change?

"The analysis remains correct and clear," says Görnemann, referring to comparable cities such as Kiel, Münster and Augsburg, all of which are facing comparable challenges.

As one of the most congested cities in Germany, Wiesbaden cannot afford to stand still for a long time after the failure of the Citybahn.