Bus route Apolda – Jena
The bus line between Apolda and Jena began scheduled traffic on September 5, 1909 and is the oldest regular motor vehicle connection between two cities in Thuringia .
The previous project from 1889 planned to connect the two cities by means of a railway line. A tram line was also considered. However, the city administration was not convinced of the benefits for the city and rejected the proposals. In addition, the route was seen as too difficult and too expensive.
In 1902, the Apolda city council dealt with the idea of an electric bus connection . But this was also rejected. It was not until 1904 that the proposal was resumed. A test drive was to take place in April of the same year, but this was not carried out until August 11, 1909 due to delivery problems with the planned automobiles. Since there were complications, another test drive was scheduled for August 24th, which ended without major incidents on the market square in Jena. The starting point was the Hotel Thüringer Hof in Apolda.
Regular traffic began on September 5, 1909. A second car was put into service in October of the same year. On December 10, 1909, the official permit to operate this line was granted. On April 28, 1910, the Automobil-Omnibuslinie Apolda-Jena GmbH was founded, which was entered in the register of the Apolda District Court on May 12, 1910 and became the official operator of the line.
The responsible transport companies changed several times. Among other things, the Jenaer Elektrizitätswerke AG was commissioned with the operation from April 1, 1914, the Apolda operating part of the VEB Verkehrskombinate Erfurt from the beginning of the 1950s and the Kraftverkehr Apolda GmbH from July 1, 1990 . Since January 1, 1992, the route has been operated as line 280 by the Personenverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Apolda , which has now been merged into the Personenverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Weimarer Land .
literature
- Georg Thieme: The Apolda - Jena bus line. In: Apoldaer Heimat. 22nd 2004.