Countries warn of the end of the Deutschlandticket in the fall
Millions of people in Germany use the Deutschlandticket. However, its future is uncertain due to unclear financing. The Transport Ministers wrote to Minister Wissing about the consequences, which range from a price increase to the ticket's factual end in its current form.
The Transport Ministers of the States urgently appeal for the financing of the Deutschlandticket from the Federal Transport Ministry. "I am receiving more and more appeals for help from duty bearers who see the current financing situation as insufficient and uncertain," writes the Chairman of the Transport Ministers Conference, NRW Minister Oliver Krischer, in a letter to Volker Wissing's house. "Many duty bearers have therefore made decisions that the Deutschlandticket will usually be discontinued in the fall of 2024." This is understandable.
He sees the "great danger that a chaotic patchwork will soon emerge with areas where the Deutschlandticket can be continued, and others where it cannot be continued due to financial reasons," he writes further. "To prevent this, the only option is to significantly increase the price of the Deutschlandticket very short-term." The ticket currently costs around 49 Euros per month on average. There may be a special Transport Ministers Conference at the beginning of next week.
Krischer demanded that the promised change to the Regionalization Law be implemented urgently. With it, it would be regulated that the unused funds from the previous year can be carried over to the current year. In April, the Transport Ministers Conference of the States decided that the transfer of the money agreed upon by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the States in the past half year was a necessary prerequisite for the ticket price to remain stable this year. Without the transfer of funds, the funds available for 2024 would only be sufficient to finance the Deutschlandticket until approximately the end of September, it is stated in the letter.
Krischer criticized that the change had not yet been implemented. The industry is missing the important signal from the German Parliament before the summer break that the Federal Government is keeping its promises. Otherwise, this "would lead to necessary price increases for the Deutschlandticket still in 2024 and to a significant financial burden for more than eleven million customers."
In a response letter from Wissing to Krischer regarding the Regionalization Law, it is stated that a draft legislative text for a corresponding legislative proposal has been completed and coordinated with the Finance Ministry. "The matter lies with the Federal Chancellery for release."
The Deutschlandticket, which costs 49 Euros per month since May 1, 2023, can be used nationwide in local and regional transport. Around eleven million tickets were sold last month. The money from the Federal and State governments is needed to offset revenue losses for transport companies due to the cheaper fare offer compared to previous offers.
The uncertainty surrounding the Deutschlandticket's financing may lead to its 'end' in its current form, particularly in 'Autumn' of 2024, according to many duty bearers. Due to insufficient financing, some countries might need to discontinue the ticket, leading to a 'patchwork' situation where it's available in some areas but not others. To prevent this, a significant price increase for the ticket might be necessary.
