Stendal - Discussion about 49 euro ticket: circles call for support
Following the end of the 49-euro ticket on buses in the district of Stendal, other districts are calling for financial support. Without a final agreement to cover the continuing funding shortfall, the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel district announced in response to an inquiry that the nationwide use of the Deutschlandticket is likely to be permanently in question. There is still a demand for the federal and state governments to permanently and fully compensate for the shortfall in revenue resulting from the introduction of the Deutschlandticket.
With regard to the withdrawal of the district of Stendal, however, the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Infrastructure speaks of an isolated case. A ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that it does not currently expect any other districts to make such a decision. Last Thursday, the district council of the district of Stendal narrowly failed to approve a resolution to recognize the Deutschlandticket in the district. This means that the ticket will no longer be valid on the district's buses from January 1. The district had expected additional costs of 40,000 euros for the first four months of the year.
"This decision will primarily affect residents of the district," said Infrastructure Minister Lydia Hüskens (FDP). "The decision also only affects the use of local bus routes. All rail services are not affected."
Districts also see problems with school tickets
Other districts in Saxony-Anhalt are also currently seeing problems with the continuation of the ticket. Talks are currently being held at the Landkreistag with the participation of all districts, according to the district of Harz. "In all the talks held, it was stated that joint financing by the federal and state governments is secured until the end of April 2024," said a spokesperson. The districts would not be able to bear the additional expenditure.
The districts are also facing technical problems in some areas because many districts also issue the ticket for school pupils. The district of Wittenberg announced that the transitional period during which paper tickets are still recognized will expire at the end of the year. However, there is no uniform electronic standard for this. It cannot be assumed that all 5,000 pupils with corresponding school tickets also have their own smartphones. "We very much hope that we will finally get a uniform solution in the course of the year to eliminate this chaos in public transport," said a spokesperson for the district of Wittenberg. In most other districts, the financing of the 49-euro ticket is not currently under discussion, he said in response to an inquiry.
German County Association calls for support
The Deutscher Landkreistag has called on the federal states to ensure legal certainty for the Deutschlandticket. "We believe that the resolution passed by the district councils is consistent," said Reinhard Sager, President of the Landkreistag. "The federal states must oblige the districts and cities to use the Deutschlandticket and thus also assume responsibility for financing it." If the financial burden continued to be passed on to the municipal level, the municipalities would either have to discontinue the ticket or reduce their public transport services.
StendalCounty Council Press release German County Council Association
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- The Altmarkkreis Salzwedel district, located in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, expressed concerns about the permanent validity of the Deutschlandticket in response to the funding shortfall, suggesting that its nationwide use could be in question.
- In contrast, the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Infrastructure considered the withdrawal of the Deutschlandticket by the District of Stendal an isolated case, with no other districts currently expected to follow suit.
- Amidst discussions about the continuation of the ticket in other districts of Saxony-Anhalt, such as Harz, technical issues have arisen, particularly in the District of Wittenberg, where the transition period for paper tickets will end by the end of the year.
- The German County Association, represented by its President Reinhard Sager, has urged the federal states to assume responsibility for financing the Deutschlandticket, warning that municipalities may have to discontinue the ticket or reduce their public transport services if the financial burden continues to be passed on to them.
- In relation to the 49-euro ticket controversy, the Stendal County Council issued a press release, adding to the ongoing discussion about the impact of this ticket on various districts and municipalities in Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
