There will again be a nationwide valid low-cost ticket for public transport: the federal and state governments agree on a “Germany ticket” costing 49 euros. According to Transport Minister Wissing, the ticket should be introduced as soon as possible. However, the price could increase over time.
A nationwide 49-euro monthly ticket for buses and trains in local and regional transport will be available for millions of passengers next year. The federal and state governments agreed on open financing issues in local public transport (ÖPNV). A digital, Germany-wide valid “Deutschlandticket” is planned for the price of 49 euros per month in a monthly cancellable subscription.
The agreement on financial issues provides that the federal and state governments will share the costs for the 49-euro ticket, totaling three billion euros a year. The federal states had made an increase in the so-called regionalization funds from this year on condition that they co-finance a 49-euro ticket. Before the consultations with the federal states, the federal government had offered to increase these funds. The federal states use the regionalization funds to order train and bus connections from the transport companies.
According to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing, the “Germany ticket” should be introduced as soon as possible. The aim is to start at the turn of the year, said Wissing in Berlin. Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister Winfried Hermann had previously doubted this point in time. The Greens politician told the partner newspapers of the Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft that it might not come until March 1st or April 1st. The implementation is complex. The state share of 1.5 billion euros must be anchored in the budgets of the states.
Bremen’s Transport Senator Maike Schaefer from the Greens praised the agreement that has now been reached. The chairwoman of the conference of transport ministers said: “The 9-euro follow-up ticket ‘Deutschlandticket’ is a real relief in the wallets of many commuters.”
In mid-October, the federal and state transport ministers agreed in principle on a 49-euro ticket as the successor to the 9-euro ticket from the summer. Financial questions were still open. The 9-euro ticket, which has been bought millions of times, made it possible to travel by bus and train for one month in June, July and August.
The transport ministers are planning an introductory phase of two years for the 49-euro successor. From the second year, the ticket could be expensive. A “dynamisation” in the form of automatic inflation compensation is planned.
