The tariff jungle will not disappear completely from people’s lives even with the introduction of the so-called Deutschlandticket. At least not for those who will only sporadically board the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram or bus in the future. “Of course, occasional drivers will also have to see how many stripes they need in the future,” says the Green member of the state parliament and district councilor Markus Büchler from Oberschleißheim. Nevertheless, the introduction of the 49-euro ticket is “great” and “real progress” – Büchler is convinced, also and especially for the people in the district of Munich: “The success will be much greater than with the nine-euro ticket , the number of subscriptions will increase – especially in the countryside.”
After the agreement of the federal states with the federal government, it should now happen as quickly as possible, as early as January 1st – if everything goes smoothly – the digital Germany ticket should be available at a price of 588 euros per year. And for many commuters, this will result in significant savings: Anyone commuting from Unterschleißheim to Munich today and opting for the annual one-off payment will have to pay 906 euros for the ticket – with the Germany ticket, commuters will save 318 euros a year in the future and not only be able to use the entire MVV area, but be on the move in regional transport throughout Germany. The Ayinger who commutes to Munich even saves 531 euros a year with this model.
Commuters in the district can save up to 500 euros a year
District administrator Christoph Göbel (CSU) speaks of a good result in view of the agreement between the federal states and the federal government. “I’ve always introduced myself and campaigned for a flat rate for commuters, regardless of where they live,” says Göbel. Above all, however, the district administrator welcomes the increase in regionalization funds for the expansion of local and regional public transport – “more duplication and a lot more backbone in the rail system are needed in the district,” says Göbel. “The nine-euro ticket has shown that demand is increasing, now supply has to follow suit at least at the same time.”
Florian Schardt expects further changes. “I hope that this ticket will also shake up the system with the more than 100 transport associations in Germany,” says the SPD parliamentary group leader in the district council. “There will certainly be changes there, it has to become simpler and more transparent.” In addition, the man from Ottobrunn is convinced that the introduction of the Germany ticket will not be the end of it: “In the future, there should be another ticket for trainees, students and the socially disadvantaged.” And there must also be a balance between rural areas and the cities. “The path is the right one,” says Schardt. “It needs attractive prices and an expansion of the offer.” A cheap bus that doesn’t drive is useless, according to the Social Democrat.
But there are also critical voices. Kirchheim’s Mayor Maximilian Böltl (CSU) fears that “the implementation of this fundamentally good idea” could ultimately result in “our region not having the necessary funds for long overdue expansion projects”. The capacity must first be created, Böltl demands: “Connections, intervals, punctuality and price make public transport attractive as a whole.” Germany ticket advocate Büchler agrees, at least when it comes to investments: “We need a lot of money to improve the offer, especially in the Munich metropolitan area.”