New trains, foodsharing and plastic free markets.
SSB Flex
Uber is not available in Stuttgart but there is now something similar. Well, sort if. At least around the city center and also only every Thursday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. So an Uber with some boundaries, I guess.
SSB Flex, run by moovel and SSB, is “not a taxi, but an innovative mobility service,” according to their website. Yet, to put things simply, it’s very similar to Uber where you apply for a ride on the app, the driver comes to pick you up at your location and drives you to the destination. Other members/users with similar routes can join in like carpooling as well (although I’m not sure how I feel about this. If it’s really late during the weekends, wouldn’t people be a bit, tipsy?). If you have a VVS day ticket or the VVS ZeitTickets, you also get a discount. Never tried it, not sure if I will, but good to know if you need a quick ride but there’s no public transportation.
FlixBus and FlixTrains
The Flixbus and Flixtrain are part of the FlixMobility brand, a rather new mobility startup, e-commerce platform and transportation company, that offers bus and train networks around Europe. Flixbus launched in 2013 and became Europe’s largest intercity bus network and then came Flixtrain in 2018. The highs of Flixbuses are the sustainability of its long distance buses, lower prices (some at only 5 euros!), free Wi-fi and GPS live tracking. Flixtrain is currently running in Germany, Stuttgart being one of the popular stops.
So this is nothing new. Flixtrain has been running for a while now, but I’ve only recently heard about reviews from friends and it’s been quite positive. But then there has been news about accidents regarding Flixbuses, and now I’m not sure where I stand. Accidents can happen and according to the reports it seemed some were not the driver’s fault. Have you tried Flixbuses or Flixtrains? Thoughts?
“Foodsharing” cafe
The foodsharing concept originated as a platform against food waste in Germany. It was a joint collaboration by individuals who were indeed interested in the overall waste problem, including filmmakers, students and a journalist. Now it has grown into a website and also a cafe (here in Stuttgart) for the first time in Germany. Foodsharing.de basically allows individuals to share food; volunteers pick up the unwanted but still edible food from individuals, businesses or restaurants and then distribute them through public/private spaces to further “save” them.
Raupe Immersatt is the first foodsharing cafe in not only Stuttgart but in Germany. Volunteers pick up food from businesses, individuals, supermarkets, bakeries (they can also bring in their own food that they no longer need at any time of day), they bring it to the cafe and guests can come and take them, free of charge. The cafe runs on drinks only, and people can pay whatever they want for these drinks.
It seems the team behind the cafe has gone through both emotional and financial ordeals. According to an interview with Mahlzeit, they mentioned the difficulties in finding a permanent space for the cafe, which is in fact nothing new in a very expensive and packed city like Stuttgart. But they managed to finally settle down in Stuttgart West. Yay.
Plastic free markets
I don’t know about you, but I do try to use less plastic these days. I bring those little bags to store vegetables and fruits when I go grocery shopping, use reusable straws at home and always have a reusable bag in case I’ll do some shopping. The city of Stuttgart is doing their part: plastic free weekly markets. Markets around Stuttgart is such a fun and enjoyable experience, and these markets will soon go plastic free. So if you are going out for a shopping spree at these markets, be sure to bring your own reusable bags.
For more information on how to cut plastic in your daily lives, especially in Stuttgart, click here. (in German)
All photos by rachelsanghee. June, 2019.