Mobility - Driver's license instead of tickets - Offers in some places in NRW
People can give up their driver's license and in return, travel for free on buses and trains in various communities in North Rhine-Westphalia. Several communes offer such deals or plan similar initiatives. Some offers are specifically targeted at older people, while others are open to all those in possession of a valid driver's license. Safety and environmental protection are the focus.
Attractive offer from the NRW Traffic Ministry
Currently, there is no funding planned from the NRW state, according to the Environment and Transport Ministry in Düsseldorf. However, there are offers in various North Rhine-Westphalian communes that cover the cost of bus and train fares for at least limited periods. The ministry views such initiatives positively. Offers that specifically and exclusively target senior citizens and seniors do not have a stigmatizing or demotivating tone. It is an attractive offer.
Which communes offer what?
The Dortmunder Stadtwerke AG (DSW21) aims to promote eco-friendly public transportation and has created a special incentive, as a spokesperson says. People who have a valid driver's license can have it stamped invalid at the city's citizen services. With the certification, they can then use the "Germany Ticket" for free in the third largest NRW city for two months. This initiative was originally targeted at seniors but has since been expanded to a larger audience. "We have had between 80 and 100 interested parties in the past years," the spokesperson explains.
In Bonn, those who give up their driver's license and are 60 years old or older receive the "Active60 Ticket" or the "Germany Ticket" from the city and SWB Bus and Bahn - each valid for six months. "The city of Bonn covers the costs," a spokesperson says. With the "Active60 Ticket," residents can travel within the city for half a year. After 19.00 hours, on weekends, and holidays, they can also travel in the expanded area of the Rhine-Sieg Transport Association, and they can bring along one adult and up to three children under 14 years old for free. "The offer from the city of Bonn and SWB Bus and Bahn is very well received." A total of 94 tickets - 29 "Active60Tickets" and 65 Germany tickets - were issued in June alone.
What does it look like elsewhere in NRW?
In the Kreis Kleve, those who voluntarily surrender their driver's license as part of a model project receive the Germany Ticket for an entire year. The offer is open to all driver's license holders in the Kreis Kleve, regardless of age or other criteria. The application and issuance process are kept simple to avoid bureaucratic hurdles, according to a spokesperson. Since its launch in February 2024, more than 200 people have taken advantage of the offer. Most are older - born before 1960 - and female.
In the Oberbergischer Kreis, there is a driver's license exchange action for people over 60 years old - they receive a Germany Ticket for a year. In the Rhein-Erft-Kreis, a two-year project is set to start in September. The deal here: Anyone over 60 who gives up their driver's license can travel for free with the D-Ticket for half a year.
However, it is stated from Düsseldorf: "Currently, there is no such offer from the Rheinbahn where older people receive an public transportation ticket in exchange for their driver's license."
The Aachen Transport Association announces: "At present, none of our transportation companies are implementing such an action. We are also not aware of any planned action in the near future. The Aachen Street Railway and Energy Supply Company have already carried out such an action in the past in cooperation with the City of Aachen. 'And this with modest success.'
In Bielefeld, there are currently no similar plans.
According to Cologne Transport Companies, it is up to the City to decide for Cologne Cathedral.
In the neighboring Leverkusen, seniors over 75 years old can exchange their driver's license for a cost-free Germany Ticket - a one-year subscription. This initiative of the city, in cooperation with the company Wupsi, has existed since May 2023. The costs are covered by the City of Leverkusen and Wupsi. According to a city spokesperson, there were 484 voluntary relinquishments in 2023 and 88 cases up to now in 2024.
The Transport Association Rhine-Sieg names these initiatives "a valuable alternative for people who want to be mobile and want to give up their driver's license due to age or health reasons." The switch to climate-friendly mobility with bus and train is encouraged.
- The Dortmunder Stadtwerke AG offers a special incentive in Dortmund, allowing individuals with a valid driver's license to use the "Germany Ticket" for free, after surrendering their license at the city's citizen services.
- The offer in Bonn is particularly attractive for seniors, as those who give up their driver's license at 60 years old or above receive the "Active60 Ticket" or the "Germany Ticket" from the city and SWB Bus and Bahn, each valid for six months.
- In the Kreis Kleve, the Germany Ticket is provided to those who voluntarily surrender their driver's license as part of a model project, with the offer open to all driver's license holders in the Kreis Kleve.
- In the Oberbergischer Kreis, a driver's license exchange program exists for people over 60 years old, offering a Germany Ticket for a year in exchange for their driver's license.
- The Transport Ministry in Düsseldorf views such initiatives as a positive contribution to environmental protection and eco-friendly public transportation options.
- The city of Leverkusen and company Wupsi have collaborated to offer seniors over 75 years old a one-year subscription to the cost-free Germany Ticket in exchange for their driver's license.
- The Transport Association Rhine-Sieg appreciates these initiatives as a valuable alternative for individuals who wish to be mobile and give up their driver's license due to age or health reasons, encouraging a shift to climate-friendly mobility with bus and train.
- Unfortunately, there are no similar initiatives currently in place in Cologne or Aachen, as per reports from Cologne Transport Companies and the Aachen Transport Association, respectively.
