From June to August, passengers should be able to use local public transport for nine euros a month. However, this causes costs for the transport company. The city council calls for more support from the federal government.
The German Association of Cities sees a funding gap of billions in local public transport and is demanding more money from the federal government because of the planned 9-euro ticket.
The idea is clever, with the reduced ticket in terms of climate goals, to attract more people to the bus and train. “However, we are skeptical as to whether the temporary 9-euro ticket is an effective incentive to switch from cars to buses and trains in the long term,” said General Manager Helmut Dedy of the German Press Agency. “We are also very worried about the financing plans.”
According to a draft law from the house of Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), the federal government wants to increase funds for the federal states to finance local transport by 3.7 billion euros this year. This should also pay the costs for the 9-euro monthly ticket – from June to the end of August, passengers should be able to travel in local and regional traffic for 9 euros per month.
Pandemic losses – Rising energy prices
The sum of 3.7 billion euros sounds like a lot of money, said Dedy. However, it is not enough to compensate for the reduced ticket and to resolve the existing burden on local public transport. “The municipal transport companies are carrying noticeable losses of income due to the corona pandemic in their deficit backpacks. Added to this are the rising energy prices, which burden local transport companies with every tank filling and every day of operation.»
According to calculations by the city day, around 1.7 billion euros were missing, said Dedy. Therefore, the regionalization funds required for local public transport would have to be adapted quickly and permanently to demand. “The 9-euro ticket would be a good reason for the federal government to open the bill again.”
The Greens and the federal states, which have to agree to the changes in the law, have already asked for more money. The Vice-Chairman of the General Works Council DB Regio, Ralf Damde, also warned of overloads caused by a rush of passengers because of the discounted tickets. In order to avoid delays caused by overcrowded trains, additional staff is needed at the train stations in tourist hotspots, he told the editorial network Germany.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
