Many people still have fond memories of the 9-euro ticket from the summer. After a long dispute over money, a follow-up offer is to be launched. The countdown is on – when the Federal Council gives the green light.
For 49 euros a month by bus and train throughout the country – the waiting time for the new nationwide ticket is getting shorter and shorter. After the Bundestag, the Bundesrat finally votes on the financing of the offer, which the federal and state governments want to share. The official start of ticket sales will follow this Monday, before people can board the new ticket on May 1st.
What is the purpose of the 49 euro ticket?
The 49-euro subscription is intended to tie in with the popular 9-euro ticket, which was only offered for a limited period of three months last summer. It should make public transport more attractive in terms of price and encourage many to switch from cars to buses and trains. For millions of commuters, but also for financially weaker people, public transport should become more affordable – and above all easier: with a nationwide ticket across all tariff zones and price conditions.
Who finances the 49-euro ticket?
The federal and state governments each want to bear half of the costs. The main aim is to compensate for the loss of income from the transport companies due to the cheap ticket price, which is below many other subscription tariffs. According to the law already passed by the Bundestag, the federal government will each receive 1.5 billion euros from 2023 to 2025, and the states want to raise the same amount. Possible additional costs should also be shared equally in the first year. How the financing will continue in the long term has yet to be clarified.
How long will the ticket cost 49 euros?
this is open One thing is clear: the price will not be maintained forever. The federal and state governments speak openly of an “introductory price”, so later increases are not excluded. Price increases are likely to be discussed again together with the general question of financing. Demands from consumer advocates for a price guarantee until the end of 2025 have not been met by politicians.
How safe is the Federal Council’s green light?
It is considered certain that the state chamber will clear the way for the new ticket. The competent committee of the Bundesrat recommends that the plenum agree, as the transport ministers of the federal states recently signaled. There had been a long struggle over funding.
The federal government rejected requests for further financial commitments, but took up another state requirement at least in part: The increase in rail user fees paid by providers of local trains should be limited to 1.8 percent for longer than just this year – namely also in 2024 and 2025. Nobody wants to tip over the long-promised new ticket anyway.
For which period is the 49-euro ticket valid?
The Deutschlandticket is always valid for the current calendar month. So if you only decide on the 15th of a month, you have to pay the full 49 euros for the period up to the end of that month. Basically, the Deutschlandticket is intended as a digitally bookable subscription. If you don’t cancel, you will automatically continue to receive it for the next month. However, the ticket can always be canceled at the end of each month.
When will the ticket go on sale?
Many transport companies have already taken pre-orders in recent weeks, with Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) receiving around 135,000 of them since the end of February. The official start of sales for the 49-euro ticket is next Monday. Depending on the form of the order, a bit of a hurry is required: the BVG writes on its website that new customers must take out a new subscription online by the 10th of each month in order to be able to use the Deutschlandticket on time the following month.
Source: Stern
