Successor to the 9-euro ticket: the federal states are demanding a “timely” proposal from the federal government

The successor to the 9-euro ticket is still unclear. The transport ministers of the federal states are expecting a quick proposal from the federal government on how to proceed. In addition, they demand significantly more money for public transport.

The transport ministers of the federal states are calling on the federal government to present a viable and sustainable proposal for a successor to the 9-euro ticket “promptly”. “The high demand for the 9-euro ticket has clearly shown that public transport is used, but that the quality also needs to be significantly improved,” said the chairwoman of the conference of transport ministers, Bremen’s transport senator Maike Schaefer, after a special digital session of the committee.

The federal government must take over the financing of a successor plan in full, said the Green politician. “The federal government is responsible here,” said Schaefer. The 9-euro ticket expires at the end of August.

Countries want more money for public transport

The federal states are also demanding that the federal government make significantly more money available for public transport. In addition to the previously requested increase in the so-called regionalization funds by 1.5 billion euros per year, the ministers are demanding a further 1.65 billion euros each for 2022 and 2023 due to the high energy prices.

To justify their demand for higher federal subsidies, the federal states referred to the current energy crisis with sharply rising operating costs and the ongoing after-effects of the corona pandemic. These continued to cause revenue shortfalls in local and regional transport. Only through “a short-term payment from the federal government” could the federal states and transport companies avoid “economic emergencies” and “massive ticket price increases”, the decision said.

“In Brandenburg alone we expect additional costs for local rail passenger transport due to the increased energy and construction prices of almost 20 percent. We cannot compensate for this with the regionalization funds currently available,” said Brandenburg Transport Minister Guido Beermann. “The federal states need additional funds from the federal government – otherwise there is a risk of investment stops, thinning out and, in the worst case, cancellations.”

Berlin wants to continue the 9-euro ticket

In Berlin, however, one does not seem to want to wait for a nationwide agreement: the 9-euro ticket should also be available in the capital beyond August. Prime Minister Franziska Giffey’s SPD proposes introducing such a regulation by the end of the year. He found out rbb from party circles.

With the ticket, however, owners could only travel in the AB tariff zone – i.e. in Berlin, not in Brandenburg, and no longer nationwide. Giffey and the SPD parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh want to submit a corresponding proposal to the coalition partners Greens and Left Party today. The three parties have agreed to form a coalition committee.