The federal and state governments have agreed on a cheaper Germany ticket for students. When asked by the German Press Agency, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens), chairman of the state transport ministers’ conference, spoke of a breakthrough. Around three million students could now get a semester ticket for 29.40 euros per month based on the Deutschlandticket. This corresponds to 60 percent of the normal price of 49 euros.
The nationwide uniform semester ticket could start in the summer semester of 2024, provided that the general student committees quickly conclude the necessary contracts with the transport companies, said Krischer on Monday evening. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) confirmed the agreement.
“The Germany-wide semester ticket in the solidarity model is coming,” said Isabel Cademartori, transport policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group. “And all this without significant additional costs for the federal and state governments.” The solidarity model means that all students contribute to financing an affordable public transport ticket.
Will the price remain stable?
The student bodies are free to offer the new offer or to negotiate regional alternative solutions, said Madita Lachetta, member of the federal board of the Juso university groups. She called for price stability for the Deutschlandticket. If the standard price increases, the price of the discounted ticket for students would also increase.
After a long dispute over finances, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the state prime ministers agreed that the Deutschlandticket would continue to exist for buses and trains in local and regional transport. A big question, however, is how long the ticket will continue to be offered at 49 euros per month or whether it will soon become more expensive. The transport ministers should develop a concept for a long-term secured ticket.
Wissing said that for the federal states, the agreement on the semester ticket would mean secure income that would help keep the ticket price as low as possible. “With the Deutschlandticket semester ticket, we are permanently binding a young group of customers to public transport.”