The federal and state governments continue to struggle about the future financing of local public transport. A possible follow-up solution for the 9-euro ticket is just one of the problems to be solved.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) – Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Transport Minister Reinhard Meyer (SPD) continues to see the federal government as responsible for the planned improvements in local public transport. “We all want attractive, modern local public transport for the citizens,” said Meyer on Wednesday before the conference of transport ministers in Bremerhaven. However, the intended successor solution for the 9-euro ticket should not come at the expense of the existing bus and train service and the necessary expansions.
The federal states needed higher allocations from the federal government in order to be able to compensate for the rise in energy prices and to be able to plan with certainty. “The federal government must now commit itself. Only then can a suitable successor to the 9-euro ticket be discussed in a goal-oriented manner,” Meyer made clear.
According to him, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will receive around 281 million euros this year as so-called regionalization funds, among other things to finance regional trains. So far, 285 million euros have been promised for 2023. In addition, there would be 16 million for the public transport rescue package for 2022 and 34 million for the 9-euro ticket, which has now expired.
However, the federal states are demanding additional regionalization funds from the federal government in the amount of 1.5 billion euros for the improvement of the offer as well as a permanent expansion and modernization pact, as well as 1.65 billion euros to compensate for the sharp increases in energy prices. “A one-time payment doesn’t help, otherwise we’ll be in the same situation next year. The aim must be to make public transport attractive and affordable in the long term,” Meyer said, explaining the demands of the federal states before the start of the two-day ministerial conference.
As a follow-up solution to the 9-euro ticket, Meyer again proposed a 365-euro annual ticket for the whole of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In addition, there must be an additional offer that is effective nationwide. “It is important to take the regional characteristics of the individual federal states more into account. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is a non-city state. The nationwide ticket for public transport currently being discussed in rural areas only appeals to a limited group of people,” explained Meyer. The federal government has so far offered 1.5 billion euros for the successor solution to the 9-euro ticket. The federal and state governments had not yet been able to agree on this.
