Traffic
Söder questions the future of the Germany ticket
Without the traffic lights in the federal government, the already controversial financing of the Deutschlandticket would be shaky. While some federal states want to stick to this, a completely different tone comes from Bavaria.
In view of the poor economic situation, CSU boss Markus Söder no longer sees any prospects for the Germany ticket. “I can well imagine that we can finance a holiday ticket, 49 euros, for one month of the year, so that once a year you have a cheap ticket, for example to go to Bavaria. But in the long run, the 49 euro ticket can work , which no longer costs 49 euros, can hardly be maintained,” said the Bavarian Prime Minister in Munich.
When asked, Söder specified that, in his view, the future of the ticket was directly linked to full funding by the federal government. “If the federal government doesn’t pay for it, then it has to fall. It’s simple,” he said. After the election, the new federal government must examine whether financing is possible “with the overall responsibility of the federal government”. “My priority is relief for Bavaria and more investment in infrastructure.”
Söder: More money is needed to expand the infrastructure
From Söder’s point of view, too much money goes into subsidizing tickets for the Deutschlandticket and too little goes into expanding the infrastructure: “Rails, transport, bridges, apartments can use even more money. Significantly more money.” The Germany ticket costs Bavaria alone 400 million euros per year. “We believe this balance is wrong in the long term.” A fundamental overhaul is needed. For Bavaria, for example, for a one-month holiday ticket it would be between 30 and 60 million euros, depending on the structure, said Söder. The remaining more than 300 million would then be better invested in infrastructure.
Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg warn of the end of the Deutschlandticket
The traffic light off endangers the plans for financing the Deutschlandticket. In order to secure the offer for rail transport, Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony are pushing for a planned change in the law by the Bundestag. With the ticket you can use local public transport throughout Germany – regardless of the federal state, transport association or tariff area. The ticket is valid for bus and train. The only exceptions are long-distance trains such as ICEs, ICs and TGVs.
The North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Transport, which chairs the Conference of Transport Ministers, assured that the end of the government coalition and the budget for the coming year that has not been passed will have no immediate consequences for the Deutschlandticket. However, the Baden-Württemberg department head Winfried Hermann (Greens) warned that unused funds must urgently be carried over to next year – otherwise the ticket might become more expensive.
dpa
Source: Stern
