Could start as early as January 1st
Transport ministers agree: the successor to the 9-euro ticket should come
The S-Bahn in Berlin could also be used with the 9-euro ticket. Now a successor for the popular offer is to come.
© Christoph Soeder / DPA
There was talk of a “game changer” on the sidelines of the transport ministers’ conference in Bremerhaven: the 9-euro ticket is to have a successor. The offer could be available soon – but there are still pitfalls.
There should be a successor to the 9-euro ticket. This was announced by Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing and his colleagues from the 16 federal states after their two-day conference in Bremerhaven. The first details of the planned offer had already been leaked in advance – now the plan is officially on the table.
The price for the new offer should therefore be 49 euros per month. Similar to its predecessor, it should be valid nationwide in buses, trains and ferries for local and regional transport. It should be available as a monthly subscription and only digitally. “We think that the offer will bring real relief for many commuters,” said Bremen’s Senator for Transport, Maike Schäfer (Greens), as chair of the conference.
The start date of 49-euro tickets is open
“On this issue, the federal states stand together across all party lines,” emphasized Schaefer. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) also supports the project and has promised a financial contribution of 1.5 billion euros annually from the federal government.
It is not yet certain when the ticket will actually be available. “As soon as possible,” Wissing promised in Bremerhaven, the target is January 1st. A review of the offer after two years is planned.
Two or three ticks remain even after the decision of the transport ministers, especially in terms of financing.
In order to implement the 49-euro ticket, the federal states are demanding inflation compensation and further financial support for the expansion of local public transport from the federal government in addition to the annual 1.5 billion euros. “Now the ball is in MPK’s field,” said Schaefer. The Prime Ministers’ Conference should give the go-ahead for the proposal from the transport departments. If they don’t agree, the ticket could be called into question again.
9 euro ticket was a great success
The planned price should, however, still cause discussions. According to many, 49 euros per month is still too much money to promote a social turnaround in transport in favor of the climate: numerous associations and citizens had called for a cheaper offer. According to Greenpeace, for example, they collected more than half a million signatures for a 29-euro ticket.
The fact that the offer should not be available on paper should also cause criticism.
The 9-euro ticket was introduced in July for a limited period of three months to relieve citizens of the high fuel and energy prices. For nine euros a month, it enabled unlimited travel on the nationwide local public transport network. It has been sold more than 50 million times, and season ticket subscribers received it automatically.
Sources: Press conference of the transport ministers, DPA news agency