“Run, arrive. Do not run, you also arrive. So, don't run.” – BVG

Is there anything else that Berlin’s public transport company are good at besides great marketing communication and brand building? Since September 2018 they do shared taxis. 

The concept of BerlKoenig is quite simple for passengers: 
1. Download the app (preferably with a 10 € voucher code from friends)
2. Order a BerlKoenig via the app
3. Be picked up at the next corner 
4. Be disposed as close as possible to the destination. Walking distance from pick-up and destination is about 200 meters according to the BVG.

Ideally, you have a pleasant chat when fellow passenger hop in on the way to your destination. Otherwise the ride is like an ordinary taxi journey.

The biggest difference in the price. You pay a flat rate for each trip, which is displaced beforehand in the app – the minimum per trip is 4 €. Normally per kilometer you pay 1.50 €. Other variables such as time, utilisation capacity  and traffic conditions have an impact on the final price. For my trip from Hermannplatz in Neukölln to Berlin Central Station I pay around 10 €. 

The ideal case is when I take someone with me because the ticket price only increases by around 1 €. 

Now the disadvantages of BerlKoenig. The service is only offered in the eastern half of the S-Bahn ring. For some journeys I unfortunately have to draw on other mobility solutions. Nevertheless BerlKoenig is one of my favourite means of transportation in Berlin.

I am a big fan of CO2-saving alternatives to owning a car. As a single person you are mostly stuck in traffic. In addition to the BerlKoenig, there are so many alternatives in Berlin to move from A to B.

Pictures: Daimler AG
Text: Nike Michel-Soth