Via Verkehrsgesellschaft

Via Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (commonly shortened to Via) was a municipal public-transport service company in Germany's Ruhr region, jointly established by the cities of Essen, Duisburg and Mülheim an der Ruhr. It was founded on 24 March 2010 and began operating on 1 July 2010. Its purpose was to bring together the local transit operations of the three cities under a single cross-municipal service company, forming part of the broader 'rhein ruhr partner' project. Ownership was divided among the three cities' transport operators: Essener Verkehrs-AG (EVAG) held 49%, Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVG) held 34%, and Mülheimer VerkehrsGesellschaft (MVG) held 17%. Via operated from five sites in total, four of them in Essen and one in Mülheim. Until 2016 the company and its management were overseen by a twenty-member supervisory board, half appointed by the three cities and half elected by employees under the 1976 German co-determination law. The arrangement proved short-lived. On 31 December 2016 DVG terminated its participation, and following DVG's exit EVAG and MVG merged to form Ruhrbahn GmbH. Via therefore ceased to exist as an independent cross-city operator, and its role was absorbed into the successor structure of the Ruhrbahn. The brand is now historical, representing an early attempt at consolidating municipal transit in the western Ruhr area.

Via Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH was established on 24 March 2010 and commenced operations on 1 July 2010. It was a cross-municipal service company of the three cities Essen, Duisburg and Mülheim an der Ruhr, and formed part of the 'rhein ruhr partner' project. The business objective was the operational merger of the municipal local-transport undertakings of the three cities. Ownership was held by the cities' transport companies: until 31 December 2016, Essener Verkehrs-AG (EVAG) held 49%, Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVG) held 34%, and Mülheimer VerkehrsGesellschaft (MVG) held 17%. Via maintained five operating sites in total, four in Essen and one in Mülheim. Until 2016, Via Verkehrsgesellschaft and its management were controlled by a twenty-member supervisory board. Ten members were appointed by the three cities and the other ten were elected by employees under the provisions of the 1976 Co-determination Act. On 31 December 2016, DVG terminated its participation. After DVG's exit, EVAG and MVG merged to form Ruhrbahn GmbH. Via thus ended its role as an independent cross-city operator, and its functions were absorbed into the successor Ruhrbahn structure.

• 2016

  DVG terminated its participation in Via.

• 2016

  After DVG's exit, EVAG and MVG merged to form Ruhrbahn GmbH.

• 2010

  Via Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH founded.

• 2010

  Via commenced operational business.

A cross-municipal municipal transport service company created to consolidate the local transit operations of three Ruhr cities.

• Cross-municipal public transport services

• Operational merger of municipal local-transport undertakings

1. 1Via Verkehrsgesellschaft – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Via Verkehrsgesellschaft – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Ruhrbahn GmbH – official websiteruhrbahn.de