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“important today”
Three months 9 euro ticket – and now? The big conclusion
The 9 euro ticket was a real mass movement. However, this is not for everyone.
© Sina Schuldt / DPA
The 9-euro ride will continue throughout Germany until Wednesday, when the traffic light project will end. How to proceed remains open. Traffic expert Regine Gerike draws a conclusion and looks at the mobility of tomorrow.
“It was a huge experiment and a lot has changed in my perception,” says Regine Gerike, professor for integrated traffic planning and road traffic technology from the TU Dresden after three months of the 9-euro ticket.
And while Finance Minister Christian Lindner argues that the ticket is too expensive and that the “free mentality” must end, the professor says: “We as a society cannot afford a free mentality.” A lot of money is already being invested in the transport sector, it just needs to be redistributed. And in her opinion, the proposals for suitable measures are already on the table, such as reducing commuter allowances, company car privileges or a toll.
The 69-euro ticket: A successor to the 9-euro ticket?
Regine Gerike believes that the idea of continuing the 9-euro ticket in the form of a 69-euro ticket could make public transport attractive for many people, but co-financing is also necessary here. Basically, the discussion is about the geographical scope, the price and the financing structure behind it. And a lack of capacity is “no reason not to do something,” says Regine Gerike. And precisely because planning periods and construction measures drag on for years, one must go ahead with the expansion of public transport at full speed.
Public transport as the backbone of tomorrow’s mobility
When the professor looks at the mobility of tomorrow, she says: “I think traffic will be slower and more colourful. We will have many different vehicles.” In her opinion, however, public transport must form the backbone of locomotion. “It would be nice if we used the momentum to offer a ticket that can be used nationwide and consistently give public transport a boost.”
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