The 9-euro ticket attracts many new passengers to buses and trains. Demands for a connection solution are getting louder, and Transport Minister Wissing also has ideas.
In view of the high demand from the point of view of the transport industry, the 9-euro ticket is already a success – all the more urgent is the question of how things should continue after the end of the campaign in local public transport.
A proposal by Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) to permanently simplify the tariff system met with approval from the Association of Towns and Municipalities on Monday, among others.
It’s a connection rule
«The first few weeks show that the 9-euro ticket was quite successful. In addition to the low price, the uniform tariff structure certainly contributes significantly to this, »said general manager Gerd Landsberg to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Monday). “That’s why we have to think about following up with a nationwide, uniform and discounted ticket.”
Green party leader Ricarda Lang said the 9-euro ticket was “a huge success” and she was very pleased with Wissing’s push for a permanently simple fare structure. Overall, she would like it if the federal government found a good follow-up regulation.
The 9-euro ticket entitles buyers to travel throughout Germany on local public transport in June, July and August for 9 euros each. With a view to the time after that, Minister Wissing spoke out in favor of permanently eliminating the “tariff jungle” in local transport. So far, different tariffs and regulations have applied in the dozens of traffic areas in Germany.
Industry circles always refer to the question of financing with such proposals. After all, public transport companies are missing out on billions in revenue from the 9-euro ticket campaign alone. The special ticket is financed by the federal government with 2.5 billion euros.
How will the financing work?
In addition, the general manager of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), Oliver Wolff, announced on Monday that the economic situation is also becoming increasingly difficult for companies in view of the rising prices for energy, fuel and personnel. “We therefore need more and more urgent solutions to compensate for this increase, otherwise there is a risk of significant tariff increases or even that the first public transport line offers will have to be restricted.”
The VDV and Deutsche Bahn have around 6,000 consumers asked about the 9-euro ticket every week. Some questions are aimed exclusively at holders of the special ticket. The significantly increased demand for public transport is gradually becoming apparent, it said on Monday. According to this, in the most recent survey, around 20 percent of the ticket buyers surveyed stated that they had almost never used public transport before.
In addition, the 9-euro ticket invites you to take trips that would not have been undertaken without the offer. Around 25 percent of the buyers surveyed said so. “This significant increase in demand must be critically examined with a view to climate protection and the loads on the system,” said VDV General Manager Oliver Wolff. Green boss Lang said the cheap ticket was originally intended as a relief because of the general price increase. If you are now thinking about long-term solutions, you always have to “think about climate protection”. Therefore, it must first be found out how many of the people who take advantage of the cheap offer would actually have avoided driving by car.
In total, more than 30 million people owned the ticket in June, Wolff said. Interest will be similarly high in July. “However, this joint success from politics and the industry also increases the pressure with a view to the time afterwards – both in terms of prices, but above all in terms of service costs,” it said.
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.
