In the year that Claudia Hartmann (53) started school, her father Wolfgang († 77) bought the first bus.
To date, now that she is the boss, the Mariendorf family business “Der Suedender / Omnibusgesellschaft Hartmann” has managed 63 buses and serves 21 BVG lines. But now the company is on the brink of collapse.
Her strong voice trembles when Hartmann talks about recent events. After the 50th anniversary and 30 years of BVG orders, the company lost the contract from the transport company. On April 2, after the end of the tour, the last Hartmann bus drove to the company depot on Greinerstrasse.
“I have to shut down operations and lay off all 280 employees,” says Hartmann. “I have no other mainstay to do anything for my drivers.”
The new tender by the transport company was delayed by a year. The refusal was not served on her until mid-February.
Other companies were awarded the contract. “I was not able to open up new business areas in this short time or land other orders,” says Hartmann, “I am disappointed with this approach after decades of cooperation.”
When asked about the reasons for the award, a BVG spokesman said: The Hartmann company had not submitted the most economical offer for any of the services advertised.
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According to the spokesman, the tender included around eight percent of the BVG bus transport service. The contract went to the companies Schröder Reisen, Busverkehr Berlin, DB Regio Bus Ost and the service company for the Berlin taxi trade.
Claudia Hartmann has laid off drivers, mechatronics technicians, vehicle cleaners and accountants. In mid-April and late October, depending on length of service. In order to still be able to pay the salaries, she sells all the buses. She also tries to place her employees in other companies.
The boss: “Everyone is crying, nobody wants to leave.” For her, it is extremely difficult to complete her family’s life’s work: “I can’t imagine life without a fine.”