The Germany-wide 49-euro ticket is scheduled to start on May 1st. In order to clear the jungle of tariffs in local transport in the federal states, Transport Minister Wissing is simplifying the approval. The financing agreement between the federal and state governments is in place.
The federal government wants to simplify tariff approval procedures for the start of the Deutschlandticket on May 1st. This should be done centrally, according to a draft law by the Ministry of Transport. The ministry wants to respond to a demand from the federal states. The cabinet is due to deal with the draft on Wednesday.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Transport Minister Oliver Krischer, as Chairman of the Transport Ministers’ Conference of the federal states, said that the Deutschlandticket, also known as the 49-euro monthly ticket, should actually be approved as a new tariff by the supervisory authorities in the transport associations. “That would be hundreds of permits, that’s the current law,” said the Green politician. “I expect flexibility from the federal government to create the legal possibility for the Germany ticket to be approved once or at least at state level and then be valid everywhere.”
According to the Federal Ministry of Transport’s draft for an amendment to the regionalization law, a “fictitious approval” limited to December 31, 2023 is to be issued in order to ensure the short-term and nationwide implementation of the Deutschlandticket. For the period from January 1, 2024, the federal states would have to ensure this.
The nationwide valid ticket for 49 euros a month in local transport is to be introduced on May 1st. As agreed between the federal and state governments, the federal government is providing the states with an additional 1.5 billion euros for the ticket for the years 2023 to 2025. Since the ticket will be introduced later than January 1, 2023, the amount of compensation required for lost fare income will be reduced proportionately.
According to the draft, the federal and state governments will each bear half of any additional costs that companies will incur in 2023 due to reduced income. With the ticket, the Federal Government is promoting the long-term simplification of the tariff system in local public transport by the federal states and is an incentive to switch to public transport and to save energy. In addition, the Deutschlandticket contributes to the achievement of the federal government’s climate targets in the transport sector by 2030 and is intended to relieve the financial burden on citizens.
