RufBus (on-call bus) for Schwäbisch Hall

Due to the corona pandemic and the restrictions imposed on personal contact, the RufBus is still subject to restrictions. Because the RufBus is driven almost exclusively by taxis, groups with more than two persons must be excluded until further notice due to the distance rules. The restrictions on late connections apply until the end of Pentecost holidays.

The following regulations apply to the RufBus in the Schwäbisch Hall district:

• Only 2 passengers per vehicle (standard taxi, max. 4 passengers per vehicle when using a large taxi).
• Only 2 persons per registration. Groups or small groups can no longer be registered.
• Families or people living together in one household can continue to be registered and promoted together.
• In any case, a sufficient distance from the driver must be kept, i.e. no transport in the front seat next to the driver. Many taxis are now equipped with partitions.
• Recording of name and telephone when ordering RufBus, so that if necessary, RufBus users can be informed if there is a suspected Corona case in the vehicle (for passengers or taxi drivers).
• The late connections on Friday/Saturday (all trips after 11 p.m.) go from June 19, 2020 (after Pentecost holidays) again .
• Shutdown of the RufBus app for organizational reasons.
• Please wear in any case a FFP2 mask in the RufBus. From June 2nd, 2021, surgical masks will again be allowed in the Schwäbisch Hall district.

Thank you for your understanding. As soon as the contact restrictions are lifted, we will offer the RufBus offer again in full.

As a complement to the existing bus routes within the district of Schwäbisch Hall, the RufBus (on-call bus) offers additional travel options in the evening, at the weekend, and on holidays. On Friday and Saturday evenings – for the RufBus lines R64 and R66N even Mon–Fri – late connections from Crailsheim, Schwäbisch Hall, and Gaildorf offered in almost all municipalities and boroughs.

The RufBus (on-call bus) runs on a fixed timetable and only calls at stops upon request. Anyone wishing to use the RufBus (on-call bus) must register at least one hour before the desired departure – via phone or WebApp.

If there are no registrations, the corresponding trip does not take place. The fare corresponds to the regular RegioTarif i.e. RegioAbos, monthly passes, day tickets, and the Schülerkreisticket (SKT) are recognised. For late connections after 10:00 p.m., a surcharge €1.00 per person will be charged.

For the RufBus (on-call bus), taxis are generally used. As a result, please note the technical limitations on the sale of tickets in the RufBus (see info box to the right or below).

When registering, enter/state your name, the number of persons, the desired day of travel, the departure time, your boarding point, and the desired destination. The booking centre will then confirm your registration and take care of everything else. If you're using the WebApp, you'll receive an immediate confirmation.

As a registered user in the WebApp, you have the additional advantage of viewing your bookings and saving favorites. In case there's a problem with a booking or a ride, the booking centre can inform registered users via their supplied contact information. Please also see the WebApp's notes on data protection.

With the help of the electronic timetable, all RufBus (on-call bus) offers will be retrieved in addition to regularly scheduled journeys. The RufBus (on-call bus) journeys are marked accordingly. All RufBus (on-call bus) timetables can be downloaded under Timetables for download.

• The registration of a RufBus journey is done via the call center of the OWL in Detmold under 0 52 31 - 977 771 or via WebApp.
   
• Registrations are possible daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On December 24th and December 31st the registration time ends at 4:00 p.m.
   
• The OWL call center is available for cancellations or customer queries daily from 7 am until 12 pm (December 24th and December 31st until 4 pm).
   
• For timetable information, please continue to use our customer centre in order to keep the service numbers for RufBus registrations free. Outside the opening times of the customer center (Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), the bwtarif customer service is available to you for timetable information from at the local rate on 0711 - 93 38 38 00 (until 31.12.2021), or new 0800 - 2 98 27 43 (free of charge from the fixed network).
   
• For the RufBus (on-call bus), primarily taxis with a limited number of seats are used. Groups from six persons must therefore register at least two business days (Mo–Fr) in advance to (if possible) in order to allow for sufficient capacities. Please use the telephone no. 07 91-970 10-55 (Mon–Fri 9 am to 4 pm).
   
• Because of the vehicles used, the transport of bicycles is usually not possible; prams can be transported upon request.
   
• The departure times at the stops, which are indicated in the schedule, are compulsory. The RufBus will wait for delayed trains for up to 10 min as long as the passenger has indicated the connection request upon registration (please specify train arrival time).
   
• Depending on the number of other registrations, the travel time may either be decreased or increased (in exceptional cases). Bus and train connections have priority.
   
• After 8:00 p.m., it is possible to alight en route upon request as long as the desired stop is on the route (PDF: Overview of additional RufBus stops for alighting after 8:00 p.m.). For boarding, only the stops specified in the timetable will be called at.
   
• The RufBus may not be used for short distances under 2 km (esp. in the cities e.g. from Crailsheim Station to the Crailsheim town hall). The same applies to connections that are simultaneously being served by regular transport (e.g. from Crailsheim Station to Rot am See when a train is travelling in parallel).
   
• On 24 December (Christmas Eve) and 31 December (New Year's Eve), there are no late connections.