Status: 01/23/2023 10:02 a.m
The start date of the 49-euro ticket is further delayed. April 1st was the last time we were talking about it. Bremen now also considers that to be unrealistic. The federal states blame Federal Transport Minister Wissing.
Several federal states accuse Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing of being responsible for delays in the start of the 49-euro ticket. Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister Winfried Hermann told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”: “It’s not up to us countries that the 49-euro ticket is delayed.” The countries are ready, the transport associations too. Hermann is surprised “that the Federal Transport Minister is not making any progress with the preparations. After all, he himself originally wanted to introduce the 49-euro ticket at the turn of the year.”
Bayern: Wissing still “owes many answers”
Bavaria also criticized Wissing’s approach to the so-called Deutschlandticket. Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter told the “Münchner Merkur”: “Mr. Wissing often says that the Germany ticket should start soon, but he still owes a lot of answers.” The federal government has not yet finally clarified the questions of state aid law with the EU Commission.
Bernreiter also rejects Wissing’s plan to only offer the ticket digitally. “Not everyone has a smartphone, that applies to older people as well as to small school children,” said Bernreiter. He also demanded that the smaller companies in rural areas should also be able to make ends meet when the income from the ticket was shared.
Bremen: Talks are sluggish
Bremen’s mobility senator Maike Schaefer had already warned on Saturday that the start date of the nationwide public transport ticket could be further delayed. April 1st was the last time we were talking about the start date. Schaefer now spoke of May 1st: After the legislative process has been completed, the sale of the ticket should start on April 3rd, and it would then be valid from the following month.
“But for the timely start on May 1, 2023, we need more compromises and solidarity – and a federal minister who does not block implementation,” said the Bremen senator. If the talks and negotiations between the federal and state governments “continue to be so sluggish”, she sees “black for a timely start”.
Ministry denies guilt
The Federal Ministry of Transport, on the other hand, recently stated that the states and transport companies responsible for public transport are primarily responsible for the implementation of the ticket.
The 49-euro ticket should be valid for local transport throughout Germany. It is the successor to the nine-euro ticket that existed last summer as a relief measure for three months due to the high energy prices.