After a long dispute, the federal and state governments have agreed on financing local transport. But whether the so-called Deutschlandticket should actually come on January 1st is not yet certain.
A nationwide 49-euro monthly ticket for buses and trains in local and regional transport will be available for millions of passengers in the coming year. The federal and state governments agreed on Wednesday during consultations in Berlin on open financing issues in local public transport (ÖPNV).
The “Deutschlandticket” is to be introduced as quickly as possible, with the aim of starting in January. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) said: “Now the way is clear for the largest public transport tariff reform in Germany.”
The subscription can be canceled on a monthly basis
The digital Deutschlandticket, which is valid throughout Germany, is intended for an introductory price of 49 euros per month in a subscription that can be canceled monthly, as stated in the decision by the federal and state governments. The attractiveness of public transport will be significantly increased. This also helps to achieve climate goals. “At the same time, the Deutschlandticket will help to relieve the financial burden on citizens.” The new ticket costs three billion euros, and the federal and state governments each finance half of it.
At the same time, the federal government is increasing the so-called regionalization funds, which the federal states use to order train and bus connections from the transport companies. The federal states had made this a condition for co-financing the 49-euro ticket.
According to the decision, the federal government will provide additional regionalization funds of one billion euros annually from 2022. In addition, the regionalization funds are to be increased annually by three percent, so far it has been 1.8 percent. From the point of view of the federal government, the states should increase their annual contributions accordingly. The federal and state governments want to talk about the further development of the regionalization funds and the Germany ticket for the period from 2025 at the end of 2024. The federal states had demanded a clear increase in funds.
In mid-October, the federal and state transport ministers agreed in principle on a 49-euro ticket as the successor to the 9-euro ticket from the summer. Financial questions were still open.
Transport Minister plans to start in early January
Wissing said the goal was to start the Germany ticket at the turn of the year. Preparatory work for the ticket had been done, but questions still had to be answered.
Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Transport, Winfried Hermann, doubted that the 49-euro ticket would come in January. The Greens politician told the partner newspapers of the Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft (NBR) that it might not come until March 1st or April 1st. The implementation is complex. The state share of 1.5 billion euros must be anchored in the budgets of the states. In the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Hermann also pointed out that machines would have to be converted, tariff systems adjusted and committee decisions made.
Bremen’s Senator for Transport, Maike Schaefer (Greens), as Chair of the Conference of Transport Ministers, said of the agreement that has now been reached: “The 9-euro follow-up ticket “Deutschlandticket” is a real relief in the wallets of many commuters.”
Ticket could be more expensive again
The 9-euro ticket, which has been bought millions of times, made it possible to travel by bus and train for one month in June, July and August. The transport ministers are planning an introductory phase of two years for the 49-euro successor. From the second year, the ticket could become more expensive. A “dynamisation” in the form of automatic inflation compensation is planned.
The managing director of the Pro-Rail Alliance, Dirk Flege, said the 9-euro ticket in the summer was not a flash in the pan. “Rather, the federal and state governments are now jointly taking into account the will of the people who have impressively demonstrated that they want to travel more by bus and train if the general conditions are right.”
Greenpeace traffic expert Marissa Reiserer said the turnaround in traffic in Germany was finally picking up speed. “The massive backlog of traffic in climate protection shows how overdue this is.” In order for the Deutschlandticket not only to have its full effect in terms of climate protection, it must be supplemented by a social tariff of 9 euros and public transport must be consistently expanded. Jens Hilgenberg, head of transport policy at BUND, said that public transport is the backbone of the mobility transition and therefore needs additional sources of funding. Among other things, revenue from the truck toll would have to be used.
Source: Stern
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