After the agreement between the federal and state governments, Bavaria’s Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter (CSU) considers it possible for the 49-euro ticket to start on April 1st. According to Bernreiter, the prerequisite is the approval of Brussels. “Now what is needed above all is the commitment from Brussels to Berlin in terms of competition law and state aid law,” said Bernreiter. “If that has also been clarified, then a start on April 1st will be realistic.”
The Berlin coalition and the federal states had agreed on the financing the evening before after lengthy haggling. Since the 49-euro ticket will result in a significant deficit for the transport company, state subsidies of three billion euros have been agreed, of which the federal and state governments are to pay 1.5 billion each. Experts doubt that this is enough. The federal government then agreed to bear half of any additional costs.
Without an agreement, a nationwide patchwork quilt would have threatened, said Bernreiter. “Holding on to the rigid promise of a maximum of 1.5 billion euros for the Germany ticket for longer would have left local authorities, transport associations and transport companies alone with the financial risk for even longer.”