Public transportation - Seniors are rewarded for handing in their driver's licenses
The topic of giving up a driver's license in old age is sensitive. Cities and regions in Lower Saxony, such as Hannover, attract people who voluntarily want to give up their driver's licenses with free annual public transportation tickets (OPNV). In Hannover, this offer is particularly popular. Over 6,600 senior citizens and seniors have participated in the project named "Driving License instead of Driver's License".
Who permanently gives up their driver's license receives the SeniorNet card for the entire Üstra/GVH tariff area as a gift for a year. "We have about 100 driver's license surrenders per month. I would even say that's very successful," said a Üstra spokesperson about the project, which has been running for two years. After the summer break, they will evaluate and possibly extend it. Around 90% of the seniors who accept the offer are over 70 years old.
Almost half - namely 45% - of the passengers continue to travel by bus and train after the twelve months with the free ticket. This is positive, said the Üstra spokesperson: "This way, we bring plenty of passengers to public transport." Since the city railway is attractive, according to the spokesperson, 65% of the interested parties come from the city of Hannover, and 35% from the surrounding area.
To participate in this project, one must be at least 60 years old, retired, and have their primary residence in the city or region of Hannover.
In Bremen, this opportunity does not exist yet, but in Bremerhaven it does. The lifelong free OPNV ticket for seniors upon driver's license surrender started in April 2023 as part of the municipal climate package. In the first year, Bremerhaven issued a total of 1,118 "Umsteigen-70-Tickets" for buses. Since the beginning of the year, between 15 and 30 tickets have been added monthly.
Not only in cities, but the offer also exists in the Wendland region. In the Lüchow-Dannenberg district, older residents can apply for the annual free OPNV ticket every year.
Seniors in Emden have been able to ride the bus for free since more than ten years if they voluntarily give up their driver's license in the port city. "Our offer is perceived very positively by older transportation users because it is based on voluntariness. We are satisfied with the response so far," said a city spokesperson. On average, about 13 driver's licenses are surrendered per year. The ticket is valid for a year in the entire bus network of the smallest city in Lower Saxony.
The exchange is simple, according to the city administration: Seniors sign a waiver for their driver's license, and upon request, the driver's license is voided. The Federal Motor Transport Authority is informed. With the submission of a form and a passport photo, seniors then receive a fare card.
Six months of free bus and train
Since 2021, in the VSN area - in the districts of Göttingen, Northeim, and Holzminden - there have been opportunities to exchange a driver's license for six months of free bus & train travel. This offer applies to all over 65 years old who surrender their driver's license at the appropriate driver's license office or have it voided at the police station.
The Secure-Driving-Permit is valid for half a year, after which it can be converted for example into a Senior-Yearly-Subscription for a monthly price of 59 Euro or into a Germanyticket. A total of 1,029 people have used this offer since its introduction in 2021. Approximately five to ten people give up their driver's licenses and use the offer monthly.
There are various opinions on whether older people pose a risk in road traffic. According to the German Transport Safety Council, the proportion of people over 65 years in the total population is currently approximately 22 percent. However, only about 14.5 percent of those involved in accidents causing personal injury belong to this age group. In Germany, there is currently no age limit for driving and no mandatory health tests for older drivers.
In Lower Saxony, the city of Bremerhaven offers lifelong free OPNV tickets for seniors upon surrendering their driver's licenses, a service not yet available in Bremen. Senior citizens in Emden have been able to ride the bus for free for over a decade by surrendering their driver's licenses. In the VSN area, which includes the districts of Göttingen, Northeim, and Holzminden, older residents can exchange their driver's licenses for six months of free bus and train travel.
