Public transportation - Dispute over Germany ticket - new price from October?
The traffic ministers of the states are preoccupied today at a special conference in Düsseldorf with the future of Germany tickets. Due to the Bundes' promised funds not being released yet, there is great concern about a price increase for the nationwide valid fare ticket before the end of the year. The 1st of October is mentioned as a possible date.
The Germany ticket, priced at monthly 49 Euro, allows travel throughout Germany with the entire public transportation network. The federal government and the states subsidize the offer annually with each contributing 1.5 billion Euro. This is intended to offset lower ticket revenues for transportation companies. The Bundes had promised to transfer unused funds from 2023 to 2024. However, this has not happened yet, causing unease in the industry. Transport companies are concerned that they will ultimately bear the costs and that the Germany ticket may disappear.
Warning of a Patchwork
"I see the great danger that a chaotic patchwork will soon emerge, with areas where the Germany ticket can be continued, and others where it must be given up due to financial reasons," wrote the chairman of the transport ministers conference, NRW-Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens), in a letter to Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (both FDP). "To prevent this, the only option is to significantly raise the price of the Germany ticket very shortly."
Originally, the federal government and the states had given a price guarantee for 2024 - but this is wavering. "If the Bund does not move, a price increase for the Germany ticket from 1st October 2024 must take effect," said a spokesperson from the Thuringian Ministry. "We have been waiting for over half a year for the Chancellor to keep his word and make the unused federal funds from 2023 available for 2024," said Bavaria's Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU). If the legislative amendment does not come before the summer break, the Germany ticket "must at least be 10 Euro more expensive in this year."
VDV: Acknowledgement for the Establishment of the Ticket
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently addressed these concerns in the Bundestag. The SPD politician called the Germany ticket in a government hearing a significant achievement. He could assure that the federal government - as discussed with the minister presidents - would create the necessary financial framework conditions. A necessary amendment of the Regionalization Law will come.
Even if the financing for the current year can be resolved - whether the 1.5 billion Euro from the federal government and the states will also be sufficient in 2025 is open. At the Association of German Transport Companies, there is great concern that the ticket - despite all the political praise - is not long-term secured. "It's good that the transport ministers conference can clarify things on Monday when it declares its commitment to the permanent establishment of the ticket," said VDV President Ingo Wortmann. Lindner and Wissing are still responsible for this.
Greenpeace proposes investing in public transport instead of the road to finance the ticket. "The most secure way to repair potholes and finance the Germany ticket is to stop building more highways," said Greenpeace mobility expert Marion Tiemann. "Then all resources can flow into the repair, and there would still be enough money for a long-term secured Germany ticket."
Lower Saxony: Cannot completely detach price from higher costs
Lower Saxony's Transport Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) is of the opinion that the ticket price must increase. "We know that personnel costs or energy costs will continue to rise in the coming years. We cannot completely detach the ticket price from that," said Lies. "But we need a stable and secure price if we want to achieve our climate goals and offer mobility."
Hessian Economy Minister Kaweh Mansoori (SPD) stated that reliability and predictability are important for the future of the Germany ticket for the next few years: "This is less a question of price, which must fit for different regions and alliances in addition, but rather a question of political will."
- The special conference in Düsseldorf is attended by traffic ministers from various states, including Berlin, to discuss the future of Germany tickets.
- Christian Lindner, the finance minister of Germany, and Volker Wissing, the transport minister, are both members of the FDP and play key roles in this discussion.
- Local traffic in NRW, particularly in Düsseldorf, may be affected if the prices of Germany tickets increase due to financial constraints.
- The Germany ticket, offering nationwide travel at a monthly price of 49 Euro, relies on annual subsidies from the federal government and states, totaling 3 billion Euro.
- If the Bundes fails to transfer the promised funds, transport companies could end up bearing the costs, potentially leading to the disappearance of the Germany ticket.
- Oliver Krischer, the chairman of the transport ministers conference, has written a letter expressing concern about a possible price increase and the potential emergence of a patchwork traffic system.
- The spokesperson from the Thuringian Ministry suggests a possible date for the price increase, stating that the federal government needs to act promptly to prevent a higher ticket price.
- Ingo Wortmann, the president of the Association of German Transport Companies, emphasizes the importance of securing the long-term establishment of the Germany ticket, highlighting the political responsibility of Lindner and Wissing.
