About us
The history of the Dr. Richard Group, the people behind it and everything that makes the company tick.
Who we are
The Dr. Richard Group is the largest private owner-operated bus company in German-speaking countries. For over 90 years, the family-owned company has been operating high-quality passenger transportation services.
Our business fields
Coach service
In this business segment, Dr. Richard rents out coaches and minivans for any group size to private and business customers, always including the driver. Dr. Richard’s bus fleet also includes double-decker buses and our exclusive Premium Class buses.
Public and long-distance buses
Dr. Richard transports passengers throughout Austria on licensed routes. We therefore serve the growing demand for public transport and are making an important contribution to the transportation revolution. This includes city and regional bus lines, as well as long-distance bus routes. The latter include the routes between Graz, Vienna and Vienna Airport, which are operated under the FlixBus brand, Germany’s largest long-distance bus provider. The G1/B01 route between Vienna, Burgenland and Graz is another important long-distance bus route. G1/B01 represents an attractive commuter connection.
The Dr. Richard Group
Formerly well-known bus industry brands, such as Austrobus, Watzke, Kowatsch, Kolda, Bajerbus, Marazeck and Albus Salzkraft, now operate under the umbrella of the Dr. Richard Group. Over the decades, the company has been able to take over transport companies time and again and to grow both at home and abroad. In addition, Dr. Richard brings its expertise to tourism enterprises.
The group is a shareholder of Vienna Sightseeing Tours, Vienna PASS and owner of Salzburg Sightseeing Tours.
A traditional Austrian company
Today, Dr. Ludwig Richard represents the third generation to lead the Dr. Richard Group. In its more than 90-year history, the Viennese family-owned company has grown to become the second largest bus operator in Austria. Its roots go back to 1929 and the founding of “Südburg Kraftwagen-Betriebs GmbH”. In 1942, Dr. Ludwig Richard, the grandfather of today’s managing director, founded his first cargo transport company. In the decades that followed, the company became established as a permanent fixture in the local bus industry. From 1996, it was managed by the company founder’s son, Dr. Karl Ludwig Richard, and since 2012 it has been managed by the latter’s son. This makes the Dr. Richard Group the largest owner-operated bus company in Austria, Germany and Switzerland and a guarantor of regional quality.
What Dr. Richard stands for
Dr. Richard stands for safety, reliability, stability, quality and tradition. As a family business in its third generation, humanity and personal contact with our customers and employees are central concerns at all our locations.
As a family business, we think in terms of generations and pursue sustainability goals as a top priority.
Dr. Ludwig Richard
Our vision
Our vision is to further develop sustainable mobility so as to contribute to the mobility revolution and a solution to the climate crisis. Public transport is a growth market and the demand for environmentally friendly mobility solutions is constantly increasing. As a system-relevant company, we invest in green drive technologies as well as in a range of environmentally friendly measures.
Focus on employees
Our employees are at the center of all our entrepreneurial thinking and actions. Many colleagues have been working for the Group for many years. Our highly qualified and motivated specialists keep the company running in all its fields of activity. They are the force that will enable the Dr. Richard Group to master all the challenges of the future.
In-house workshops
Dr. Richard has its own workshops in many locations, which means that maintenance work does not have to be outsourced. On the one hand, this is cheaper, which enables us to offer the best prices to our customers. On the other hand, it enables us to guarantee quality and reliability. Our highly qualified staff carry out all work in and on the bus. Service and repair times can therefore be organized efficiently. In addition, it allows us to provide a large number of additional jobs and to offer interesting job opportunities. As a top apprenticing company, we train our own young skilled workers.
