Wiesbaden ends bus tendering, awards 20-year contract to ESWE Verkehr
Wiesbaden has handed all its municipal bus services directly to ESWE Verkehr, putting an end to competitive tendering. The move aims to bring greater reliability and stability for both passengers and staff. The new arrangement will remain in place until at least September 2042.
The city's transportation chief, Andreas Kowol, stressed that predictability was the main advantage of this decision. Under the agreement, buses will operate around 12.8 million scheduled kilometres each year, alongside 1.1 million kilometres for on-demand services.
The partnership between Wiesbaden and ESWE Verkehr has already led to improvements in public transport quality. A key step was the introduction of the company's first electric articulated bus around March 2025, which successfully completed over 50,000 kilometres. This success has prompted plans to add six more electric buses by March 2026. The long-term contract also seeks to balance established services with new developments. These include expanding on-demand transport options and rolling out digital solutions to enhance efficiency.
The direct awarding of contracts secures ESWE Verkehr's role in Wiesbaden's public transport for nearly two decades. The focus remains on maintaining reliable services while pushing forward with innovations like electrification and digital upgrades. The city expects these measures to benefit both daily commuters and the wider transport network.
