Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Strelitz mbH (VMS) was a municipal transport company headquartered in Neustrelitz, Germany. It operated the majority of scheduled bus services in the former Mecklenburg-Strelitz district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The company was founded in 1992 as Verkehrsgesellschaft Landkreis Neustrelitz mbH (VLN) and later merged with Neubrandenburger Landverkehr GmbH to form VMS following the administrative union of the Neubrandenburg and Neustrelitz districts. VMS provided regional bus services across a sparsely populated area, connecting larger towns via a route network. It maintained its own fleet of 32 buses based at depots in Friedland and Neubrandenburg, while subcontractors operated more than 70 additional buses in the southern part of its territory around Neustrelitz. The company introduced an ISO 2000 quality management system in 2004/05 and, from March 2011, offered passengers with disabilities the option to request low-floor buses or buses with lifts by phone. In 2013, VMS merged with Demminer Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVG) to form the new Mecklenburg-Vorpommersche Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVVG), headquartered in Demmin. The merger was driven in part by the expiration of VMS's route licenses in 2015 and EU rules requiring subcontractor quotas below 50 percent, which VMS did not meet. The VMS brand ceased to exist as a separate entity after the merger.

Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Strelitz mbH (VMS) was a municipal transport company based in Neustrelitz, Germany. Its origins trace to 1992, when Verkehrsgesellschaft Landkreis Neustrelitz mbH (VLN) was founded. Following the administrative merger of the districts of Neubrandenburg and Neustrelitz, VLN merged with Neubrandenburger Landverkehr GmbH to create Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The new company took over the majority of scheduled bus services in the former Mecklenburg-Strelitz district. VMS operated in a region characterized by very low population density and a few larger towns linked by its route network. It maintained two depots, in Neubrandenburg and Friedland, and its own fleet of 32 buses, used primarily in the northern part of the district. Most of these were regional buses; 35 percent were equipped with a lift or ramp for barrier-free access, and every newly procured bus had to meet this criterion. All company buses had camera surveillance and illuminated displays. In the southern part of the service area around Neustrelitz, services were predominantly provided by subcontractors using more than 70 additional buses. In 2004/05, VMS introduced a quality management system according to ISO 2000. Certification was achieved through an audit in August 2005 and repeated annually. In March 2011, the company began offering people with disabilities the option to order special buses—low-floor buses or buses with lifts—by telephone using a dedicated number for each service area, within the framework of the timetable. Orders had to be placed by at least 10 a.m. on the previous working day. This improved mobility for affected passengers without changing the vehicle fleet. A notable service was the Fischadlerlinie (Osprey Line), a seasonal Rufbus (on-demand bus) route (line 682) connecting Neustrelitz, Kratzeburg, Boek, and Mirow, serving the southeastern part of Müritz National Park. From the 2011 season, it operated twice daily during the summer season (May–September) as a Rufbus, using a minibus with a bicycle trailer to carry bicycles. During 2013, VMS was merged with Demminer Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVG) to form the new Mecklenburg-Vorpommersche Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVVG), headquartered in Demmin. The merger was necessitated in part because VMS's route licenses were due to expire in 2015. Additionally, an EU regulation on the direct award of transport services required the subcontractor quota to be below 50 percent, which was not the case at VMS. After the merger, the VMS brand ceased to exist as a separate operating entity.

• 2013

  VMS merged with Demminer Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVG) to form Mecklenburg-Vorpommersche Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVVG).

• 2011

  From March, telephone ordering of accessible buses offered for passengers with disabilities.

• 2011

  Fischadlerlinie seasonal Rufbus service (line 682) begins summer operation.

• 2005

  Certification audit for ISO 2000 successfully completed in August.

• 2004

  Introduction of ISO 2000 quality management system begins.

• 1992

  Verkehrsgesellschaft Landkreis Neustrelitz mbH (VLN) founded.

• VLN merges with Neubrandenburger Landverkehr GmbH to form Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Strelitz (VMS) after district merger.

Municipal public transport provider for rural and small-town areas in the former Mecklenburg-Strelitz district.

• Regional bus services

  Scheduled bus routes connecting towns and villages in the former Mecklenburg-Strelitz district.

• Rufbus (on-demand bus) services

  Demand-responsive services supplementing regular routes during off-peak times.

• Fischadlerlinie (line 682)

  Seasonal Rufbus route in Müritz National Park, operating May–September with a minibus and bicycle trailer.

• Accessible bus service

  Low-floor buses or buses with lifts available by telephone order for passengers with disabilities.

1. 1Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org