Local transport: Söder: Union will find a solution for Germany ticket

Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder has promised the continued existence of the Germany ticket in the event of a Union -led federal government. “The next federal government led by the Union will find a solution,” the CSU boss told the Editorial Network Germany (RND).

The Germany ticket does not occur in the Union election program. Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz (CDU) said in November when asked how he saw the future of the ticket after 2025: “This is a very difficult question that we also have to answer in the light of budget planning next year.”

The Union’s housekeeper Christian Haase recently told the “Politico” portal: “We have to make ourselves honest: Beyond 2025, the Germany ticket is no longer to be financed”.

Friday’s climate movement for future criticized these statements. “Instead of driving out of people with little money, the Union wants to radically back to more cars on the streets,” said spokeswoman Carla Reemtsma of the dpa. “This is bad for the climate and bad for people who cannot afford a car. Radical change of policy in the Union style means: radically more climate disorder and more social injustice.”

“Ticket does not mean Bavaria or Bremen ticket”

Söder told the RND: “The ticket is not called Bavaria or Bremen ticket. It is called Germany ticket. So the federal government has to find a solution on how to proceed.” It proposed an increase in the commuter flat rate and better financing of the rail by the federal government. It could not be “that Bayern pays 400 million euros for the Germany ticket and at the same time underfunded the railways to be paid by the federal government.”

The financing of the nationwide ticket in local and regional traffic by the federal and state governments is secured by the end of the year. Former funds are only laid down for this year.