The new Deutschlandticket and drastic cost increases will make the coming year a challenge for local public transport companies. It is unclear how the actually necessary expansion of the offer can be financed.
Frankfurt / Main (dpa / lhe) – The new 49-euro ticket is expected to come from April. Preparations are also in full swing in Hesse. This applies, for example, to the sales channels through which customers can get the ticket, explains the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV). Nationwide, there is also a vote on uniform tariff regulations. Like its predecessor, the 9-euro ticket from the summer, the new ticket is to be valid throughout Germany on local public transport. However, the start date has not yet been finally determined.
RMV Managing Director Knut Ringat warns that there are still tasks to be done on the political side so that the promised federal funds can be paid out. Because this is a prerequisite for the liquidity of the transport company, which must be given at the time of the introduction. After the agreement in the dispute over financing, the federal and state governments should fully compensate for the reduced revenue and introduction costs of the ticket. Additional funds have also been promised.
“That’s good, but at least for the next two years, RMV will have to tighten its belts regardless of the Germany ticket,” says Ringat. The status quo is secured for the RMV, but larger timetable extensions and new projects will have to wait. The background is the massive increase in costs – in 2022 alone, the additional energy costs will add up to around 50 million euros. The Germany ticket also restricts the entrepreneurial freedom of the industry. Financing from the public sector will thus permanently gain in importance.
Nevertheless, the RMV is continuing some projects, such as projects in the field of driverless vehicles. At the end of 2023, the first autonomous shuttles are to be used on a test basis and at normal speed in Darmstadt and in the Offenbach district. Initially, however, there should still be a driver on board who can intervene if necessary. RMV customers with a ticket can order and ride the on-demand cars.
On January 1st, RMV and Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund (NVV) will increase prices by an average of 1.5 percent. At the same time, the associations are introducing discount cards similar to the Bahncard for people who only travel occasionally.
The Kassel traffic scientist Carsten Sommer sees open questions in the financing of public transport: “As far as the expansion of the offer is concerned, which is also the political goal at state and federal level and which everyone is actually talking about in the course of the traffic turnaround and climate protection goals, the financing is sufficient not from.” All that remains here is that politicians give more money or new sources are opened up – for example via beneficiary financing, to which companies or drivers are also consulted. It will also be interesting to see whether there will be enough capacity when the 49-euro ticket comes, Sommer said. Additional demand is to be expected, especially in leisure traffic.
Lack of staff is also a big problem, also in public transport. “In addition to the financing, this is actually an even bigger task that needs to be tackled,” said Sommer.
The North Hessian transport association is also urging for sufficient funds: “The traffic turnaround will not succeed without further expansion of the offer, the infrastructure and digitization with simultaneous adequate financing of all associated measures. Only if the loss of income from the Deutschlandticket is permanently compensated is implementation for the transport associations can also be realized in the long term,” says NVV spokeswoman Sabine Herms.
The North Hessian network is primarily pushing ahead with the expansion of its range of services in rural areas. “Every village, every hour” has been the motto since the timetable change in December in large parts of the Kassel and Waldeck-Frankenberg districts.
