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Deutschlandticket Social starts in further NRW regions

In North Rhine-Westphalia, there is a Deutschlandticket option for low-income earners. At the beginning of 2024, people on low incomes will be able to make use of it in large parts of the most populous federal state. However, other tickets will be more expensive in many parts of the state.

,   and  Vladimir Milov
3 min read
Trains cross a railroad bridge at Deutz station. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
Trains cross a railroad bridge at Deutz station. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Traffic - Deutschlandticket Social starts in further NRW regions

From next month, low-income earners in other regions of North Rhine-Westphalia will be able to use a discounted version of the Deutschlandticket for nationwide journeys on local and regional transport. The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS), the Aachener Verkehrsverbund (AVV) and some transport companies of the Verkehrsverbund Westfalentarif are launching the Deutschlandticket Sozial on January 1, 2024, according to a survey conducted by dpa.

At 39 instead of 49 euros per month, the Deutschlandticket Sozial is cheaper than the standard version. Proof of eligibility is required to purchase the ticket. The VRS reports that there has already been lively demand in advance from the Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB). Orders can already be placed with the transport companies.

According to an overview provided by the VRS, recipients of citizens' benefits, social assistance, housing benefit, standard benefits under the Asylum Seekers Act and war victims' welfare benefits are entitled to the new Deutschlandticket Sozial. Only customers living in the VRS area can purchase the reduced-price ticket in the VRS.

The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) had already launched the Deutschlandticket Sozial on December 1. Some transport companies in the Westfalentarif transport association also used December 1 as the start date. Some other transport companies will start on January 1, 2024, with other transport companies following on February 1, 2024, according to a spokeswoman for Westfalentarif. She pointed out that corresponding resolutions are required beforehand.

According to estimates by the NRW Ministry of Transport, around three million people across the state are entitled to the Deutschlandticket Sozial. According to their estimates to date, the transport associations assume that, in addition to new Deutschlandticket users, there will also be a number of customers switching to the cheaper option.

In three of the four transport associations in North Rhine-Westphalia, tickets will become more expensive from January 1, 2024. The prices for VRR tickets will rise by an average of 9.4 percent. In the VRS, fares will rise by an average of 10.4 percent on January 1, 2024. The two largest transport associations had already announced this at the end of September. In the AVV, ticket prices for buses and trains will rise by an average of 8.5 percent on January 1. The Deutschlandticket is not affected by the price increases and will continue to cost 49 euros per month.

In contrast, there will be no price increases for the Verkehrsverbund Westfalentarif at the turn of the year, said the spokeswoman. The cut-off date in this tariff area is traditionally August 1. Most recently, prices here were raised by an average of 3.65 percent.

VRR on the Deutschlandticket Social Fare increase AVV Fare increase VRR

Read also:

  1. Low-income earners in Aachen will also benefit from the discounted Deutschlandticket Sozial, as the Aachener Verkehrsverbund (AVV) and some other transport companies will start offering it on January 1, 2024.
  2. The Railroad Verkehrsverbund Westfalentarif, which covers regions in North Rhine-Westphalia, has already started offering the Deutschlandticket Sozial to eligible low earners, following the example of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS).
  3. In many regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, including Cologne, the standard Deutschlandticket will become more expensive from January 1, 2024, but the discounted version, the Deutschlandticket Sozial, will still be available to eligible low earners.
  4. Proof of eligibility is required to purchase the Deutschlandticket Sozial, which provides for nationwide journeys on local and regional transport at a discounted price of 39 euros per month for eligible low earners in North Rhine-Westphalia.
  5. The Personenverkehrsgesellschaft Aachener Verkehrswege mbH, which operates the transport services in Aachen, is one of the transport companies in North Rhine-Westphalia that will start offering the Deutschlandticket Sozial from January 1, 2024.

Source: www.stern.de

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