Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft Dreiländereck

Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft Dreiländereck mbH (KVG) is a German public transport operator based in Zittau, Saxony. It provides regional bus services in the southern part of the Görlitz district as well as urban bus services in Löbau and Zittau. The company is organised within the Verkehrsverbund Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien (ZVON) transport association and operates from sites in Löbau, Großschönau and its main location in Zittau. Until 2023 it ran the regional bus network in the southern Görlitz district and the town bus services in Löbau and Zittau; since then it has been active in public transport only through its subsidiary OSL Bus GmbH. The company traces its origins to a transport business founded in Zittau in 1924, which existed until 1949. In 1953 the VEB Kraftverkehr Zittau took over large parts of the operation, and in 1964 Kraftverkehr Eibau was attached to Kraftverkehr Zittau. After the political and economic changes in East Germany in 1989/90, the present company was re-established in 1996 through the merger of two post-reunification firms, Verkehrsgesellschaft Löbau (VGL) and Zittauer Verkehrsgesellschaft (ZVG). In 2005 the Löbau-Zittau district sold KVG to Abellio Deutschland. The company signed a transport contract with the district administration in 2005 and has since been a partner in the ZVON network. In May 2012 KVG won the tender for line and school bus services in the southern part of the Görlitz district, including the town bus lines in Löbau and Zittau, and the corresponding transport contract was signed on 1 November 2012. In October 2014 a sale to Regionalbus Oberlausitz GmbH (RBO) was planned, but the company was ultimately bought by RBO's parent Rhenus Veniro for an undisclosed sum. In December 2016 KVG won the contract for bus lines in the Brandenburg district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz, starting 1 August 2017 for ten years, and founded its subsidiary OSL Bus GmbH for this purpose. From January 2018 it took over part of the former services of Niederschlesische Verkehrsgesellschaft (NVG) in the north of the Görlitz district as a subcontractor for Regionalbus Oberlausitz. From 10 June 2018 until the end of the 2019 season, on behalf of the Görlitz district, it offered a cross-border bus line over the Zittau Mountains on weekends for the first time since the end of the Second World War. In January 2019 KVG became part of the international Transdev group after Rhenus Veniro became part of its German company Transdev GmbH. In January 2021 the Görlitz district restructured the route network in KVG Zittau's operating area, introducing comprehensive regular-interval timetables coordinated with regional trains in Zittau and Löbau and with long-distance connections from Dresden-Neustadt station, along with PlusBus lines 10, 30 and 50 and TaktBus lines. In the Europe-wide tender for bus services in the Görlitz district, KVG lost to DB Regio Bus Ost GmbH in a lengthy award procedure; at the same time Regionalbus Oberlausitz also lost its tender to Moveas. Thus KVG lost all its transport services in the Görlitz district as of 1 July 2023. It applied for subcontractor work with the new operator but was unsuccessful. KVG operated buses of types MAN Lion's City (A21 and A23), MB Citaro (C1 and C2 in various solo and articulated versions), MB Integro, MB Sprinter (minibus), Volvo 8700, Volvo 8700 LE and Iveco Crossway LE. Some scheduled services were carried out by subcontractors using their own vehicles. The fleet included historic vehicles such as an Ikarus 263 and an IFA H6B/L. KVG was the last German transport company to use an Ikarus 280.03 in scheduled service; the bus made its last run on 31 August 2010. Most KVG vehicles carry a white and red livery, though some buses bought used from Verkehrsgesellschaft Mittelhessen have blue or green paint. All KVG vehicles follow a numbering scheme where the vehicle number matches the number on the licence plate.

The history of Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft Dreiländereck (KVG) begins with a transport company founded in Zittau in 1924, which operated until 1949. In 1953, the state-owned VEB Kraftverkehr Zittau took over large parts of that business. In 1964, Kraftverkehr Eibau was incorporated into Kraftverkehr Zittau, consolidating bus operations in the region. After the collapse of the German Democratic Republic and the political and economic changes of 1989/90, the present company was re-established in 1996 through the merger of two newly founded post-reunification firms: Verkehrsgesellschaft Löbau (VGL) and Zittauer Verkehrsgesellschaft (ZVG). In 2005, the Löbau-Zittau district sold KVG to Abellio Deutschland. That same year, the company signed a transport contract with the district administration and became a partner in the Verkehrsverbund Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien (ZVON). On 8 May 2012, the technical committee of the Görlitz district announced that KVG had won the tender for line and school bus services in the southern part of the district, including the town bus lines in Löbau and Zittau. The corresponding transport contract between the district and KVG was signed on 1 November 2012, securing operations until at least 2022. In October 2014, a sale of KVG to Regionalbus Oberlausitz GmbH (RBO) was planned, but the company was ultimately acquired by RBO's parent, Rhenus Veniro, for an undisclosed sum. In December 2016, KVG won the contract for bus lines in the Brandenburg district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz, with services starting on 1 August 2017 for ten years; the subsidiary OSL Bus GmbH was founded for this purpose. From January 2018, following the cessation of operations by Niederschlesische Verkehrsgesellschaft (NVG), KVG took over part of NVG's former services in the north of the Görlitz district as a subcontractor for Regionalbus Oberlausitz. From 10 June 2018 until the end of the 2019 season, on behalf of the Görlitz district, KVG offered a cross-border bus line over the Zittau Mountains on weekends for the first time since the end of the Second World War; three trips of line 6, which previously ran only to Lückendorf on weekends, were extended to Petrovice (Petersdorf), where a connection to the Czech bus line to Jablonné v Podještědí (Deutsch Gabel) was available. In January 2019, KVG became part of the international Transdev group after Rhenus Veniro became part of its German company Transdev GmbH. In January 2021, the Görlitz district restructured the route network in KVG Zittau's operating area, introducing comprehensive regular-interval timetables coordinated with regional trains in Zittau and Löbau and with long-distance connections from Dresden-Neustadt station. This change also introduced PlusBus lines 10, 30 and 50 as well as TaktBus lines. In the Europe-wide tender for bus transport services in the Görlitz district, KVG lost to DB Regio Bus Ost GmbH in a lengthy award procedure. At the same time, Regionalbus Oberlausitz, which operates bus lines in the northern part of the district and for which KVG partly operated as a subcontractor, also lost its tender to the company Moveas. As a result, KVG lost all its transport services in the Görlitz district as of 1 July 2023. KVG subsequently applied for subcontractor work with the new operator but was not awarded any. Since then, the company has been active in public transport only through its subsidiary OSL Bus GmbH.

• 2023

  KVG loses all its transport services in the Görlitz district to DB Regio Bus Ost GmbH as of 1 July; it remains active in public transport only through OSL Bus GmbH.

• 2021

  The Görlitz district restructures the route network in KVG Zittau's operating area, introducing regular-interval timetables and PlusBus/TaktBus lines.

• 2019

  KVG becomes part of the international Transdev group after Rhenus Veniro joins Transdev GmbH.

• 2018

  KVG takes over part of NVG's former services in the north of the Görlitz district as a subcontractor; a cross-border bus line over the Zittau Mountains is offered on weekends from 10 June.

• 2016

  KVG wins the contract for bus lines in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, starting 1 August 2017 for ten years; subsidiary OSL Bus GmbH is founded.

• 2014

  A planned sale to Regionalbus Oberlausitz GmbH (RBO) is abandoned; RBO's parent Rhenus Veniro acquires KVG for an undisclosed sum.

• 2012

  KVG wins the tender for line and school bus services in the southern Görlitz district, including town bus lines in Löbau and Zittau; contract signed on 1 November.

• 2005

  The Löbau-Zittau district sells KVG to Abellio Deutschland; KVG signs a transport contract with the district and joins ZVON.

• 1996

  KVG is re-established through the merger of Verkehrsgesellschaft Löbau (VGL) and Zittauer Verkehrsgesellschaft (ZVG).

• 1964

  Kraftverkehr Eibau is incorporated into Kraftverkehr Zittau.

• 1953

  VEB Kraftverkehr Zittau takes over large parts of the Zittau transport business.

• 1924

  A transport company is founded in Zittau, operating until 1949.

Regional public transport operator within the ZVON network, providing bus services in the tri-border area of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

• Regional bus services

  Bus lines in the southern Görlitz district and surrounding areas.

• Urban bus services

  Stadtverkehr in Löbau and Zittau.

• School bus services

  School transport as part of the public service contract.

• Cross-border bus services

  Weekend line over the Zittau Mountains to Petrovice, Czech Republic, offered from 2018 to 2019.

1. 1Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft Dreiländereck – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft Dreiländereck – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Official websitekvg-zittau.de