Planned relief: transport ministers approve of free tickets

The federal states fear a high administrative burden for the 9-euro monthly ticket for local public transport planned by the federal government. Instead, the transport ministers are proposing a zero-tariff ticket.

The transport ministers of the federal states still see considerable implementation problems with the 9-euro local transport ticket to relieve citizens of the increasing mobility costs. The chairwoman of the conference of transport ministers, the mayor of Bremen and senator for the environment Maike Schaefer from the Greens, said after a video conference of the transport ministers that they would like to introduce the ticket quickly, preferably on May 1st. However, the majority of the transport ministers recommended offering a three-month free ticket instead of a 9-euro ticket in order to minimize the administrative burden.

Schaefer said the states wanted to make a nationwide offer. Details would now be discussed in a federal-state working group. She demanded that the costs for the cheap ticket should be borne in full by the federal government and should not burden the federal states or the transport companies.

Because of the high energy prices, the traffic light coalition agreed on a relief package yesterday, which includes the temporary introduction of tickets for nine euros per month in public transport. The federal government wants to increase the regionalization funds for the “9 for 90” ticket, with which it supports the federal states in the public transport offer.

Wissing stays with the 9-euro ticket

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the FDP did not take up the recommendation of the federal states. He said it was possible to offer the 9-euro ticket as an online ticket nationwide. Payment can also be made online. Ticket machines would not have to be converted for this. Subscription customers would have to be reimbursed for the difference in the price of their monthly or job tickets. This is also necessary with a zero tariff.

The 9-euro ticket also makes it possible to collect data on how many passengers also buy a monthly ticket. Wissing said that with the ticket, the federal government wanted to provide an incentive to switch to local public transport and to save energy. He put the loss of income for the transport companies at ten billion euros and explained that they would be taken over by the federal government, including possible additional costs. A zero-tariff solution would cost about another billion euros more.

According to the Baden-Württemberg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens), it is also still unclear whether the cheap tickets should only be valid in the respective transport associations or nationwide. Wissing assumed that it was valid in the respective transport association.

Divided opinions

The Pro Bahn passenger association had previously voiced massive criticism of the planned 9-euro ticket. “In our view, ‘9 for 90’ is a quick populist shot with no lasting effect,” said Pro Bahn spokesman Karl-Peter Naumann of the editorial network Germany (RND). From Pro Bahn’s point of view, however, it would make more sense to invest the funds in the expansion of public transport. The Pro-Rail Alliance also criticized the federal government’s plan. The increase in regionalization funds announced in the coalition agreement has not yet taken place.

The economy Veronika Grimm, on the other hand, welcomed the plans of the traffic light parties. “I think it’s right to relieve people with low incomes, people in need, too. It’s also right to give public transport cheaper,” she said Deutschlandfunk. However, she criticized the reduction in petrol prices as counterproductive in relation to climate protection.