After the time-limited nine-euro ticket, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing wants to work towards a permanent simplification of the fare system in local public transport. “If the complicated tariff zones disappear and the tickets are valid nationwide, local public transport will be used much more,” said the FDP politician New Osnabrück newspaper. “We should therefore finally find ways to end the tariff jungle in Germany.”
The experiences with the nine-euro tickets, which are still available until the end of August, should therefore first be thoroughly evaluated, said Wissing. “From the fall we will then draw the necessary conclusions.” The most important lesson he draws from the enthusiasm for the nine-euro ticket is: “Structural changes are needed.”
The federal government introduced it with the aim of relieving people of the high inflation and making a contribution to climate protection. The ticket entitles buyers to travel throughout Germany on local public transport in June, July and August for nine euros each. Wissing called the ticket a “brilliant success” and the “best idea for rail transport in a very long time”. In the traffic light coalition, it was the Greens in particular that got it through – not least as a counter-model to the three-month fuel discount demanded by the FDP.
The federal government cannot permanently finance a ticket for nine euros, says Wissing
According to the Association of German Transport Companies, around 21 million special tickets were sold nationwide as of the end of June. In addition, there are ten million subscribers who automatically receive the discounted ticket. “We have noticeably less traffic on the roads, significantly less traffic jams,” said Wissing. “Apparently many have switched from cars to buses and trains.”
According to the report, Wissing kept a low profile on what a cheap local transport ticket would look like and, above all, how it could be financed. “I can understand that the financing of public transport is a major challenge for the federal states,” he said. “But it is also clear to everyone that the federal government cannot finance a monthly ticket for nine euros in the long term. That would be around ten billion euros a year,” said the minister. “I cannot anticipate the budget negotiations here.”