Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, or the Berlin Transport Company operates and manages public transport systems in Berlin. The company has been renamed at least 3 times due to the split and reunification processes that have taken place in Berlin.

Quick Facts:

Type: Public, Owned by the State of Berlin.

Fleet Size: 1,349 Single Deck, Double Decker, Articulated and Extended Single Deck Buses.

Routes: 149 Routes serving 2,634 bus stops. 63 Night Bus routes operating on 1.508 bus stops.

Manufacturer and Powerplant: BVG takes advantage of a perdominatly domestically produced fleet constructed by German heavy vehicle giants MAN, Neoplan and Mercedes-Benz. BVG recently placed an order for foreign supplied articulated buses built by Scania of Sweden. German innovation is prevalent in the fleet with buses being powered by Diesel, Diesel Electric Hybrid, Compressed Natural Gas, Liquified Petroleum Gas, Experimental Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Electric Hybrids.

Fare Collection: Oddly Berlin does not utilize a contactless card payment option for fare collection. Fares are still paid by passengers purchasing tickets which must then be validated. People caught riding the bus (even tourists) who do not produce a ticket or produce one that is unvaildated will have to pay a higher fare of 40 Euros. Tourists who cant prove their identity are arrested on suspicion of illegal immigration. BVG is part of a transit association (VBB) which sets fares for BVG utilizing a zoning system. Fares are different in each zone and if passengers only purchase a one way ticket. Fares also go up during certain hours in certain zones. Unusually bus tickets can be purchased from ticket machines mounted on buses. These tickets are pre-validated and must be used within the hour.

Livery: BVG buses are distinctive for their bright solid yellow paint. BVG does sell the sides of their buses for advertising space.

Innovations: BVG's use of double deckers is distinctive as the use of such buses in mainland Europe is not as common as it is on the British Isles.

Driving Dynamics: Buses in Berlin spend a fair amount of time away from the inner city where traffic is the heaviest. Despite being in city limits many of the bus routes in Berlin look like suburban bus routes in America. Bus only lanes and priority signaling at traffic lights keeps buses running on time. However accidents are fairly common both mechanical and driver error.