BGerman Transport Minister Volker Wissing has received both praise and criticism for his idea of standardizing local public transport tariffs. The German Association of Cities welcomed the proposal. The Bavarian Ministry of Transport, on the other hand, said that the state would not be able to enforce uniform prices if it did not spend money to do so.
In a newspaper interview, Wissing (FDP) announced that after the time-limited 9-euro ticket, they would strive for a permanent simplification of the fare system in local public transport. “If the complicated tariff zones disappear and the tickets are valid nationwide, local public transport will be used much more,” said the FDP politician of the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. “We should therefore finally find ways to end the tariff jungle in Germany.”
According to Wissing, the experiences with the 9-euro ticket, which runs until the end of August, should first be thoroughly evaluated. “We will then draw the necessary conclusions from autumn,” announced the minister. The most important lesson he draws from the enthusiasm for the 9-euro ticket is “structural changes are needed.”
Citizens are relieved by the ticket for three months
The aim of the 9-euro ticket is to relieve people of the high inflation and contribute to climate protection. It entitles buyers to travel throughout Germany on local public transport in June, July and August for 9 euros each.
The German Association of Cities welcomed the minister’s initiative in principle, but at the same time referred to funding gaps. The general manager of the municipal umbrella organization, Helmut Dedy, told the German Press Agency on Saturday: “Public transport must become more attractive, the cities support a simpler tariff system.”
The City Day is therefore pleased that the Federal Transport Minister now apparently wants to talk to the federal states and local public transport providers about tickets that are valid nationwide. However, this is not an easy undertaking, which is why “creative solutions” are required here. A prerequisite is “that at the same time the massively increased costs in the area of energy and personnel” are compensated and thus the stock is secured.
A great success from the point of view of the federal government
Wissing called the 9-euro ticket a “brilliant success” and the “best idea for rail transport in a very long time”. According to the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), around 21 million special tickets were sold nationwide as of the end of June. In addition, there are 10 million subscribers who automatically receive the discounted ticket. “We have noticeably less traffic on the roads, significantly less traffic jams,” said Wissing. “Apparently many have switched from cars to buses and trains.”
According to the report, Wissing kept a low profile on financing issues. “I can understand that financing local public transport is a major challenge for the federal states,” he told the newspaper. “But it is also clear to everyone that the federal government cannot finance a monthly ticket for 9 euros in the long term. That would be around 10 billion euros a year,” said the minister. “I cannot anticipate the budget negotiations here.”
The 2021 coalition agreement between the SPD, Greens and FDP states that the attractiveness of public transport should be improved. The traffic light coalition also stated: “We want an expansion and modernization pact in which the federal, state and local governments agree, among other things, on financing up to 2030, including the own shares of the states and local authorities and the distribution of federal funds, and discuss tariff structures. Regionalization funds will be increased from 2022.” Dedy warned that the commitments from the coalition agreement must now be honored.
Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) said: “It is completely unrealistic to clear the tariff jungle without spending money on it.” In Bavaria, the question is already further along. A public transport strategy for 2030 will be presented before the end of this year, with an e-ticket that will enable passengers to travel throughout Bavaria according to the “one click – one ticket” principle.
