Contrary to what was previously decided, the Stendal district in Saxony-Anhalt is not opting out of the 49-euro ticket. This means that the ticket remains valid throughout Germany at the turn of the year.
The 49 euro ticket will initially continue to be recognized in the Stendal district in the new year. A special district council decided yesterday evening to recognize the Deutschlandticket – with 30 votes in favor, four against and nine abstentions. According to the decision, the recognition is initially valid until the end of April 2024.
District council reverses decision
In doing so, the special district council reversed a decision by the Stendal district council: at the beginning of December, it had decided that the ticket on the buses there should no longer be valid from January 1st. The reason given at the time was the strained budget situation. The foreseeable financial losses caused by the Deutschlandticket could therefore no longer be covered.
Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister for Infrastructure and Digital, Lydia Hüskens (FDP), spoke of good news after yesterday’s decision. This means that the Deutschlandticket remains valid everywhere in the country. “That is ultimately one of its greatest advantages.”
Districts are well equipped financially
Hüskens pointed out that the districts are sufficiently well equipped financially with regard to public bus transport. “The country is spending a lot of money on this.”
In January, all districts and independent cities received a total of 10 million euros in addition to the approximately 60 million euros in lump sum allocations as part of the public transport law, which can be used to compensate for cost increases and loss of revenue in public bus transport in the short term. The Stendal district alone accounted for around 450,000 euros.
Warning of “Death of Germany tickets”
The Stendal case caused a stir nationwide, and the Pro Bahn passenger association warned of the consequences. If other municipalities reacted in this way, it would be the “death of the Deutschlandticket,” said Detlef Neuß, federal chairman of Pro Bahn, in the MDR-TV. If the Deutschlandticket is no longer valid throughout Germany, the ease of use that characterizes it will be lost.
The Deutschlandticket has been valid since May and entitles you to travel on local and regional transport nationwide for 49 euros per month. In particular, future financing and the assumption of additional costs have recently been the subject of heated debates, especially between the federal and state governments.