Wednesday, 4 December
BVG app chaos: 994 minute wait time
The BVG app’s meltdown on Tuesday wasn’t just a source of amusement for Berliners – it was the latest episode in a long-running saga of digital dysfunction. Yesterday morning the BVG app reported a disruption on the U9 with a push notification informing passengers, “There are wait times of up to 994 minutes between two journeys.” One minute later, the app reported a wait time of 1002 minutes. The trains’ information desks also had a warning: “U9 service cancelled”
While the U9’s reported 17-hour delays were swiftly attributed to an app malfunction, the incident underlined a deeper issue: the app itself is increasingly seen as unfit for purpose. Since its relaunch in July, the BVG app has been plagued by an avalanche of user complaints, and its once-mediocre 3.6 app rating has nosedived to a dismal 1.5 stars on Android. The app is commonly criticised for its disappearing purchased tickets, failed payment transitions and absurd navigation quirks such as requiring users to insert their destinations before their starting points, which is described as being anything but intuitive. The app’s embedded city map is also riddled with errors and displays zigzagging bus routes.
Despite the uproar, the BVG’s response has been limited to canned apologies: “We’re working to improve the app.” Yet four months after the update, no significant fixes have been delivered.
The BVG’s app stands in sharp contrast to the city’s much-praised S-Bahn app, which enjoys glowing reviews and a 4.3 star rating. As customer dissatisfaction deepens, many are left wondering how the capital’s largest public transit provider managed to derail its digital ambitions so spectacularly. For now, commuters have been left to navigate Berlin’s complex transit system on their own, and its equally complex digital interface.
