Increased demand for buses and rental cars
Due to the warning strike by the train drivers' union GDL from late Wednesday evening, many travelers want to switch to buses or rental cars. "We are seeing a significant increase in demand for tickets at both FlixBus and FlixTrain due to the announced strike," a spokesperson for the long-distance bus and rail platform Flix in Munich told the German Press Agency on Wednesday afternoon.
"However, we have enough capacity so that DB travelers can still switch to our services at short notice." If necessary, additional vehicles will be deployed, the spokesperson continued. "FlixTrain is not affected by the strike and is operating as usual."
Rental cars are also well booked. "We are currently experiencing high demand at Europcar," said Tobias Zisik, Managing Director of Europcar Mobility Group in Germany, when asked in Hamburg. "As major trade fairs are taking place in the north and west at the same time, availability is particularly tight there." In contrast, there are more vehicles available in the southern federal states.
In light of the railroad strikes, many consumers are opting for alternative transportation methods, leading to a surge in tariffs for buses and rental cars. Around the same time, major trade fairs are happening in the north and west, resulting in high demand for rental cars and tight availability, particularly in those regions.
Source: www.dpa.com
