Berlin/Mannheim (dpa/lsw) – Passengers in the Rhein-Neckar transport association have to dig deep into their wallets from January. This is the result of an evaluation of tariff measures in almost a dozen large transport associations by the German Press Agency. From January, the use of buses and trains will cost an average of 8.83 percent more, single tickets will then cost up to 1.10 euros more. Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (rnv), based in Mannheim, transports 580,000 people every day in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse.
In other transport associations, too, journeys by bus or train in local public transport will cost significantly more in many places from next year. Depending on the region, ticket prices in Germany will increase by between 1.4 percent and 8.8 percent. Most associations justify the measures with the significantly increased energy costs. However, some also refer to the uncertain income situation that transport companies face due to the 49-euro ticket.
Christian Specht, chairman of the Rhein-Neckar transport association, called for understanding for more expensive tickets: “We are aware that the quality of public transport is currently unsatisfactory due to the lack of spare parts and a high level of sick leave”. Nevertheless, an adjustment of the tariffs is existential, because local transport is severely affected by the price increase for energy and materials. He also fears charges from the planned 49-euro ticket; It is already foreseeable that the three billion euros provided by the federal and state governments for its financing will not be sufficient, added the Mayor of Mannheim.
The price adjustments in the Rhine-Main transport network (RMV, Hesse) and in the Bremen/Lower Saxony transport network (VBN) are comparatively moderate. Public transport there will only increase in price by an average of 1.4 percent (VBN) or 1.5 percent (RMV) from January 1st.
In between is the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB), which will raise its prices a little later, on April 1, by an average of 5.6 percent. In the Rhein-Ruhr transport association in North Rhine-Westphalia it is an average of 3.9 percent more, in the adjacent Rhein-Sieg transport association (VRS) 5.44 percent in two steps to January and July.
In other associations, price adjustments have been in effect for several months. In the Warnow transport association, for example, in the Rostock district, prices were already raised by an average of 6.6 percent on October 1st. In Munich and the surrounding area, public transport trips have cost an average of 6.9 percent more since the timetable change on December 11th.
