49 euro ticket - Minister demands clarity on price of Germany ticket
Lower Saxony Transport Minister Olaf Lies calls for clarity on the future price of Germany Tickets. "We know that personnel costs or energy costs will continue to rise in the coming years. We cannot completely detach the ticket price from this, but we need a stable and secure price if we want to achieve our climate goals and offer mobility", Lies told the German Press Agency in Hannover.
It's about developing a price that on the one hand absorbs some cost increases and on the other hand gains customer trust. "This is the line we need to hit", emphasized Lies.
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) recently linked a possible price increase at the Germany Ticket to investments in the rail network. "Sooner or later, politics must decide whether we want to invest more in the railways or if the price of 49 Euro should remain", said Lindner to "Welt am Sonntag".
Lies criticized that the Federal Finance Minister presents it as if the ticket had to be more expensive so that more money would be available for other measures. "This would endanger a successful project of the federal government.", he stated.
There have already been discussions about the price of the Germany Ticket for a long time. The offer is subsidized by the federal government and the states with each 1.5 billion Euro per year. A price guarantee from the federal government and the states only exists for this year. The ticket could therefore be more expensive for users from 2025 onwards. With the monthly ticket for 49 Euro, the local and regional transport can be used nationwide. It was introduced in May of the previous year.
- Olaf Lies, the Transport Minister of Lower Saxony, expressed his concern about the future price of the Germany Ticket in Hanover, highlighting the need for clarity and stability to achieve climate goals and maintain customer trust.
- Christian Lindner, the Federal Finance Minister, suggested that a potential price increase for the Germany Ticket could be linked to investments in the rail network, implying that the ticket's cost might increase if further funds aren't allocated.
- In response to Lindner's comments, Lies criticized the notion that the price hike would only benefit other initiatives, as it could potentially compromise the success of the Germany Ticket project.
- The Germany Ticket, which allows for national use of local and regional transport for 49 Euro per month, has been subsidized by both the federal government and the states with a combined annual investment of 3 billion Euro.
- Despite the ongoing discussions about the potential price increase of the Germany Ticket from 2025 onwards, a price guarantee is currently only in place for this year.
