School bus trouble ended: Bad Belzig receives punctual trips to Treuenbrietzen!

School bus trouble ended: Bad Belzig receives punctual trips to Treuenbrietzen!

There is movement in school bus transport in Bad Belzig, which should please many students and parents. From the 2025/2026 school year onwards, the Potsdam-Mittelmark district administration will be responsible for providing a reliable transport solution. Students from Bad Belzig should be able to get to the comprehensive school in Treuenbrietzen without unreasonable waiting times. Currently, people are waiting for the bus there an hour before or after the official start of school - a situation that many find intolerable. This reports maz-online.de.

The resolution, which was passed in July in the district council in Niemegk with 38 yes votes, 5 no votes and 6 abstentions, comes from the CDU, which received support from the SPD and Die Linke/Piraten/Tierschutz PM. This agreement came about despite the resistance of the district administrator and the administration. Cornelia Kirsch, the district's head of transport, said that there was a lack of financial resources to expand school bus transport, especially for the purchase of an additional bus.

Investments in the future

Currently 30 students from Bad Belzig attend the comprehensive school in Treuenbrietzen and another 5 students go to the Birken primary school. In order to shorten waiting times, there are plans to change the timetable of the existing lines. This could prove to be a challenge as the administration fears that improving school bus service could lead to calls for faster connections in other communities. But the possibility of financial support for additional trips is also being considered. Ultimately, the financial outlay for school bus transport is viewed as an “investment in the future”. After a year, the changes will be examined to evaluate the success of these measures.

In total, around 2,000 students in Bad Belzig, Niemegk and Brück use the bus services. Melanie Balzer from the SPD makes it clear that the abuses in school bus transport should no longer be tolerated. Roland Büchner from BVB/Free Voters, in turn, warned of the possible consequences of any application, which could have caused district levies to rise. District Administrator Marko Köhler also has plans to save two million euros on the district's Regiobus lines in order to keep the levy stable.

Regulations for school transport

How exactly school transport is regulated can be found in the district's statutes. This regulates the claims for school transport or the reimbursement of travel costs. Parental or individual requirements do not arise automatically from the Brandenburg School Act, but are clearly defined. Applications can be made directly to the school administration office of your place of residence, and important documents, such as proof of school attendance and any disabilities, must be submitted. Further information can be found on the district's website, which comprehensively covers the topics of school transport here.

Together with the organization and the responsible bodies in the districts, the aim is to ensure efficient school transport that meets the needs of the learners. The Potsdam-Mittelmark district is responsible for transporting students to public schools and alternative schools. The integration of school transport into local public transport is a central point in order to support everyone involved in finding a fair and effective solution. Information about these regulations can also be found on the specialist portal of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport here.