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Comment by aw3c2 | Hacker News Reader

All over Germany the companies do this. Almost always there is also a network map and other information. I am flabbergasted at the state of public transport in your vicinity. How were you supposed to use it conveniently without that information prominently displayed.

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Public transport is very different in the US than in Europe, and a large part of the reason is density. If that were the only reason, I think we could solve that, but unfortunately, a large percentage of Americans' attitude is public transport is for poor people, especially off the eastern seaboard.

I was alway hugely impressed with the public transport in Europe. Utah has pretty good transport (this project wouldn't be necessary, for example), but it is still difficult to use if you aren't either traveling around or to the downtown Salt Lake City area or have a lot of time you are willing to drop on the commute.

I am flabbergasted at the state of public transport in your vicinity.

Sadly, I think this is pretty typical of the state of public transit across the US. Subway systems tend to be better - maps, when the next train arrives, etc. But the bus systems have little to no info.

That's true in much of Europe also, unfortunately (I don't know about Germany, but I can believe it's better). In France, for example, the rail system is well signposted, but route and timetable information about city buses is very inconsistent. Even true in usually-well-organized Denmark, which has a super-awesome metro, but out of date and difficult to read information at bus stops.

Though inexplicable, there's actually a law dating from 1934 against long distance travel by bus on a regular schedule in Germany.

I don't know about inexplicable. A bit of research shows that it was intended to favor the development of rail and possibly automobiles (Hitler's Volkswagen project was declared in 1933.) It appears it also allowed for an exception when the bus service was a substantial or significant improvement ( wesentliche Verbesserung ) and, just recently, a young business called Yourbus ( DeinBus ) emerged successfully from the court system with a permit because a lower price counted as a significant improvement.

edit: It occurred to me that it was possible what you found inexplicable was why the law was still on the books. It seems from Deutsche Bahn AG's opposition to Yourbus, that interests such as the (now privatized) state rail and other industries would simply lobby for an advantageous status quo. Especially so, considering that Deutsche Bahn operates its own bus service, and has for a while, in a comfortable niche carved out from and protected by that very law.

> It occurred to me that it was possible what you found inexplicable was why the law was still on the books.

Yes. Or more: That the lobbyists carry so much weight, where the public interest is very clearly to have more competition.

except travel to certain destinations like airports. also from nearly every city there is a long distance bus going to berlin ;)

I'm guessing their attitude is that the vast majority of bus riders are regular riders (granted, this is probably accurate), and the few tourists and new residents can just by a public transit map.

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