Behördenruf 115 takes pilot operation.

What police and fire work, is now also dealing with authorities. Under the nationwide uniform number 115 in the future, citizens questions. From Tuesday the system can be in four states tested.

 

What documentation do I need to marry? How do I report a business or to request a tax card? When will the garbage disposal? Who the competent authority for certain services of public administration, or simply does not know several of these issues at once would like to have answered, is now on a single phone call to the number 115 get answers. The single phone authorities to launch on Tuesday in Sydney, Berlin, Hamburg, the city of Oldenburg, as well as parts of North Rhine-Westphalia its pilot operation.

DPA
Authorities Number 115: Should the future communication with the public administration simplified

"We love questions," encouraged the project "D115" in his official flyer potential callers. The single phone number is initially for the ten million inhabitants of the model regions a direct line to management and administrative levels at the same time connect. Had, for example Bafög been interested in municipal, or federal land use - depending on whether students, prospective student or master craftsmen - it should be "flat across" the 115 as the first point of call is available. It is open Monday to Friday from 8 clock to 18 clock.

The idea for the uniform number Authorities was established on an IT-summit of the federal government nearly two and a half years. For its implementation are now existing - mostly local - service network. Even in the two-year trial run will gradually add other regions. All the 115-service use a common knowledge management system, which includes the 150 most common questions together with citizens' answers are recorded, including 25 each concern, the state and federal authorities. The list will be as specified by the responsible Federal Ministry of Interior constantly updated and expanded.

Easy but not free

Gets a caller in the 115 to his question in the nearest service center is not an immediate response and will take up his concerns, for example, of an expert authority, he should within 24 hours receive a callback. Also a reply by e-mail or fax is available. The majority of the questions - according to the Ministry of Interior at least 55 percent - but directly at the first contact to be answered.

In other countries there are already models for a single phone number authorities, for example, "Allo Service Public 3939" in France. Also in Germany is a telephone service over a number of management levels is not new. For example, since 2005 the "Hamburg-service" with a single phone wire as a local and provincial administration. A central service number on all levels in a federal state is across the federal Interior Ministry, however, that a novelty.

Unlike calls to the equally succinct three-numbers 110 and 112 for emergency calls is the collection of information about authorities not the 115 free. From the Land of the fall, according to industry service providers, depending on the Teltarif seven to twelve cents per minute. Who from the mobile network calls, therefore, pays up to 50 cents per minute.

Teltarif on Monday criticized a lack of transparency on the part of suppliers and the absence of a statutory duty to announce tariff for 115-Call. Given the sometimes rather high per-minute prices, announced that the "quick and competent treatment from a consumer perspective is essential," said the service sector.