Status: 05/22/2022 5:10 p.m
Are 2.5 billion euros enough for the federal states to finance the nine-euro ticket and provide enough buses and trains? “Yes,” says Federal Transport Minister Wissing. in the Report from Berlin he defended the ticket against criticism.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has defended the introduction of the nine-euro ticket against critical voices. in the “Report from Berlin” Wissing explained that the ticket was “fully financed” in order to provide enough buses and trains.
“We have put everything on the table that the countries need, namely full compensation for the ticket cancellations during this time,” said Wissing. “We’ll talk about what the federal states want in terms of more money in the fall. It’s about financing public transport in the next few years. That has nothing to do with the nine-euro ticket.”
Actual cost lower
Wissing went on to explain that the 2.5 billion euros made available are a quarter of the ticket revenue that the federal states expect for 2022: “But the months of June, July and August are not the months with the highest income. Nevertheless, we have a full quarter of the annual income is put on the table.”
According to his calculations, the actual costs will be well below 2.5 billion euros. However, since he wanted “good financing”, he worked to ensure that this sum was reached.
The countries would actually receive an additional 1.2 billion euros in pandemic costs. “They also benefit from the relief in energy taxes. That also goes down well with the transport companies,” the minister continued.
Wissing wants to trust countries
Wissing referred to the federal states for fears that the trains could be overcrowded and that commuters would be late for work because they would have to wait for subsequent trains. In the Federal Council, they said they would commission additional buses and trains.
He himself suggested that the validity should always be limited to a transport association. It was the states that said the ticket was valid nationwide. “And that’s what I’m counting on and trusting in. I then said that if the countries want it and have the confidence to do it, then I don’t want to stand in the way,” said Wissing.
Ticket is valid from June to August
After the Bundestag, the Bundesrat also gave the go-ahead on Friday for the greatly reduced monthly ticket, which is intended to relieve consumers of the costs that are currently rising across the board in the next three months. The measure is also intended to convince more people of the more climate-friendly bus and train travel.
The ticket should be available from June to August. It enables the nationwide use of all local public transport such as regular buses, subways and regional trains for nine euros each per calendar month.